Scam kits that copy whole websites now cost a few hundred dollars, and AI is making fakes harder to spot. Here are the checks experts still trust.
Fake websites and social accounts are getting cheaper to build and harder to spot. According to Pew Research, about one-third of recent web content is AI-generated. Scammers can copy an entire site, a login page and even a crowd of fake fans for a few hundred dollars. The good news is that a few simple checks still work, and they take only seconds.
Pew also found that around 10 percent of ".com" sites now show signs of AI. Fake news sites, often called "pink slime," have long outnumbered real news publishers, and AI is helping them multiply. Donnie Hasseltine of Arkstone Defense says high-quality deception used to belong to nation-states and well-funded groups. Now, he says, anyone can fake a site or build a bot quickly.
Zohaib Ahmed, CEO of deepfake detector Resemble.AI, compares it to the "Wild West." Bad actors can use AI tools without built-in safeguards, so mainstream models never see what they are building. Cheap "scam kits" cover everything from ads and blog posts to login portals and natural-looking engagement.
Eyal Elazar of Riskified says the traditional signs of a fake are fading. A weirdly spelled web address, blurry images or a stiff robotic voice used to give scams away. Today, he says, AI can clean all of that up. Scammers also use look-alike addresses, such as "abcnews.com.co," that imitate real news sites and organizations like FIFA. They count on people not looking closely.
The oldest tip still works: read the address. Experts quoted in the article suggest these steps.
Pay attention when your browser warns you about a site. Only continue if you know where the site comes from. Keep in mind that a site can look legitimate on the surface while its content is far from it.
Social media does not follow the same rules. Start with the platform's own verification, such as the check mark. Then open the profile itself, not just the post in your feed. Many platforms allow custom characters in display names, which lets people fake a check mark at a glance. On X, users can buy verification, so look for other proof there.
Watch for AI-generated influencers too. Look for AI labels in captions, comments and profiles, though many fake accounts slip past detection. Risky links also show up in odd places, such as TikTok Shop links that lead off the app and chats with players you thought were friends.
Before you click, log in or send money, read the full web address and open the profile page itself.
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