AI Scams Targeting Kids: What Parents Need to Know in 2025

AI has made scammers dramatically more convincing. Here is what every parent needs to know in 2025 — and the simple defences that actually work.

Scam 1: The AI Voice Clone Emergency Call

This is one of the scariest scams of the AI era. Scammers take 3-30 seconds of someone's voice (from a YouTube video, social media, voicemail) and clone it perfectly. They then call the person's family pretending to be that person in an emergency: "Mum, I am in hospital, please send money to this account immediately."

Defence: Create a family safe word. In any emergency call, any family member can ask for the safe word. If the caller cannot say it, hang up immediately and call the family member directly on their known number.

Scam 2: Fake AI "Friend" Chatbots

Some scam apps present themselves as AI companions or friends — then gradually build emotional trust with a child before asking them to do something harmful (share photos, send money, reveal information).

Defence: Know what AI apps your child uses. Any app that feels like a "best friend" and encourages secrecy is a red flag.

Scam 3: AI-Generated Phishing Messages

Scam emails and messages used to be easy to spot — full of spelling errors and awkward language. AI now writes perfect, personalised phishing messages that look exactly like legitimate communications from schools, banks or delivery companies.

Defence: Never click links in emails or messages — go directly to the official website instead. Grammar and spelling no longer indicate a message is legitimate.

Scam 4: AI Fake "Free Game" Downloads

Fake game mod sites use AI to generate convincing screenshots, reviews and descriptions of non-existent games or mods. When downloaded, they contain malware.

Defence: Only download from official app stores and official game websites. Fan-made mods should only be downloaded from well-established community sites (CurseForge, Nexus Mods etc.).

Scam 5: AI Image Generation for Blackmail

Scammers may generate fake compromising images of real people using AI and use them for blackmail. This is illegal in most countries but happens.

Defence: Teach children that any such threat should be reported to a parent immediately — the person has done nothing wrong and the images are fake. Never pay any amount to a blackmailer.

The Core Principle

AI has made everything fake more convincing — text, voice, images and video. The defence is not to be suspicious of everything, but to verify the important things through known channels. When in doubt: hang up, go directly to the official site, and call the person back on a number you know.