Money Saving Monday: How AI-Powered Scams Are Targeting Arizonans — And What You Can Do to Stay Safe
From voice cloning and deepfake videos to AI-generated phishing texts and emails, scammers are using increasingly sophisticated technology to trick consumers — and Arizona is becoming a prime target. According to the Federal Trade Commission, residents across the state have lost millions of dollars to these schemes, and the numbers are climbing as artificial intelligence makes fraudulent communications harder to spot.
Maria Holmes knows the danger firsthand. Her mother recently received a text message that appeared to come directly from Chase Bank, warning of suspicious activity on her card.
“It said there’s been some fraud maybe going on with your card,” Holmes said. “She started getting all this information from Chase on her card, and I was like, no Mom, that’s just a scam. We’re going to hit delete.”
Holmes recognized the red flags immediately. A quick visit to a local branch confirmed her suspicion: the message was not from Chase. But not everyone is so lucky. AI can now clone a loved one’s voice with just a few seconds of audio, compose bank-like texts, and build a fake identity tailored specifically to you.
“A lot do involve AI,” Holmes said, acknowledging the growing threat.
To combat the rise in high-tech fraud, Chase Bank and the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office have teamed up to host community workshops across Arizona, aiming to educate the public and prevent further losses.
Antonio Lara, community manager at Chase Bank in Phoenix, warns that consumers must keep their guard up — especially when answering unknown calls.
“It only takes about six words for an AI machine to replicate our voice, or the equivalent of three seconds of speaking,” Lara said. “So when you pick up the phone and you’re like, ‘Hello, anybody there… if nobody picks up, I’m going to hang up the phone’ — that’s enough for these machines to capture our speech and all the information they need to really replicate our voice.”
His advice is simple: when in doubt, don’t engage.
“If we don’t recognize the number, I think it’s better to just not pick up the phone,” Lara said. “Or if you get a text message that might seem suspicious, just don’t reply.”
If you receive an unexpected call or text that claims to be from your bank, hang up and call the number on the back of your card. Never click links in unsolicited messages. Behind the scenes, Chase says it is working to detect and block scams in real time — but knowing your bank’s boundaries remains your best defense.
“Banks will never ask you for your personal information — we already have that information,” Lara noted. “If you don’t feel safe sharing that information over the phone, my best advice is to always have somebody that you know and trust inside your bank so you can go personally and say, ‘This is what I need,’ or, ‘This is what’s going on.’”
Seniors are disproportionately targeted by AI-driven financial scams, experts say. The emotional and financial toll can be devastating. Consumer advocates urge families to stay alert, check in on older relatives, and trust their gut instincts.
“Just making sure that you’re checking with a real person, being able to go to the financial institution from where it comes from — that way you know the real answer,” Holmes said.
If you believe you have been the victim of a scam, you can file a complaint by visiting azag.gov.
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