Practical AI: Use a free AI assistant as a second opinion on scam texts and calls (Oct. 29)

Phil Harpster

14 hours ago

4 min read

Quick Read

Oregon sheriff's offices warned this month about scammers posing as deputies and federal court officials, including a Multnomah County case where a 79-year-old man lost $40,000.
A free AI chat assistant can act as a calm second opinion: paste in a suspicious text or describe a call, and ask it to list the red flags.
Strip out names, account numbers and codes before you paste anything, and never let the AI be the final word.
Always verify by calling the agency or company back on a number from its official website, not one from the message.

This is the first installment of Practical AI, a weekly Willamette News column on everyday ways to put AI tools to work. We start with something that is hitting Oregon mailboxes and phones right now: scam messages designed to make you panic.

On Oct. 27, the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office said a 79-year-old resident withdrew $40,000 and fed it into a bitcoin machine after a caller posing as a sheriff's lieutenant told him he had missed jury duty. In Yamhill County, deputies warned that scammers are posing as federal court officials serving a fake "FBI Civil Action Warrant," Your Oregon News reported. And the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation warned this month that AI is making fake investment pitches, websites and voices look more convincing.

The same technology can help on your side. Scams work by rushing you. An AI assistant does not panic, and asking it to read a message slowly gives you a pause before you act.

Try it: a 2-minute scam check

Open a free AI chat assistant you already have, such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Microsoft Copilot or Claude.
Copy the suspicious text or email. Before pasting, delete your name, address, account numbers and any codes or PINs.
Paste it with this prompt: "I got this message. List any red flags that it could be a scam, explain each one in plain language, and tell me how to verify it safely without using any phone number or link in the message."
For a phone call, type out what the caller said and what they asked you to do, then use the same prompt.
Read the red flags, then verify on your own: look up the agency or company's official website and call that number.

The red flags it should catch

Local law enforcement agencies list the same warning signs again and again. Payment demanded over the phone to clear a warrant or avoid arrest. Instructions to pay with cash at a crypto kiosk, gift cards or a wire transfer. Pressure to act right now. Requests to keep it secret from family. MCSO said legitimate law enforcement "will never demand payment over the phone," and Yamhill County deputies said real federal warrants are never served by phone, email or text.

A good assistant should flag those patterns. If it does not, that is a reason to trust your own judgment and the official sources below, not the AI.

Going one step further

Many assistants can now take actions for you, such as searching the web, which is the "agentic" part of today's AI. You can ask one to find an agency's official contact page. Treat the result as a lead: open the link yourself, confirm it is the real government or company site, and dial the number yourself. Do not let any tool call, pay or reply on your behalf in a situation like this.

What to watch out for

Privacy: anything you paste may be stored by the AI company. Never paste passwords, PINs, verification codes, Social Security numbers or full account numbers.
Accuracy: AI can be wrong and sound confident. It can miss a well-made scam or flag a real message. Use it for a second opinion, not a verdict.
Phone numbers: don't ask an AI for an agency's phone number and dial it blindly. Get it from the official website.
Codes: the Oregon Department of Justice says never share a PIN or verification code sent to your phone, even with someone who claims to be your carrier.
Already paid? Call your bank right away, report it to local police, and file a complaint with the Oregon DOJ at oregonconsumer.gov.

Sources

Multnomah County Sheriff's Office: Warns of law enforcement impersonation scam (Oct. 27, 2026)

Your Oregon News: Scammers now posing as federal court officials, Yamhill County sheriff's office says (Oct. 23, 2026)

Oregon State Treasury, Financially Fit Oregon: Are you protected from AI scams? (October 2026)

Oregon Department of Justice: Consumer Hotline warns of phone number transfer scam (June 26, 2025)