Which AI Tools Are Best for Identifying Online Scams?

The internet is a place these days. It seems like the bad guys are always one step ahead of us.

In 2024 the FBI said that people lost a lot of money $16.6 billion because of cybercrime. That is a jump from the year before. The bad guys are using intelligence to make fake emails that look real and people are clicking on them. They are even making video calls that can fool people into giving them money.

The truth is, you cannot trust what you see or hear on the internet anymore.. There is some good news. Artificial intelligence is being used to fight back against these scams. If you know what tools to use you can stay safe.

Why Traditional Scam Detection No Longer Works

Remember when it was easy to spot a scam?

You would just look for typos and weird words. Those days are gone. Now the bad guys have access to tools that can make their scams look real. They can even use these tools without knowing much about technology.

A report found that these tools are free and anyone can use them without being caught. That is why scams are becoming a problem. Many organizations have been affected by these scams. The only way to stop them is to use intelligence to fight back.

Here Are Some of the Tools to Help You Stay Safe Online:

1. Norton Genie (Best All-Around Consumer Tool)

If you only install one tool, make it this one.

Norton Genie is a free, AI-powered scam detection tool that helps users assess whether a message, link, or website could be a scam. It works by letting users paste text, upload screenshots, or submit URLs from emails, texts, or social media messages.

Norton Scam Protection uses natural language processing (NLP) to detect scam-related wording and hidden fraud patterns in text, machine learning trained on millions of scam attempts, and real-time analysis that flags suspicious emails, texts, and calls before they reach you.

Its standout feature? Deepfake detection. Users can upload YouTube links to the Genie AI Assistant, which then analyses the video for manipulation and provides real-time feedback on its authenticity.

Best for: Everyday consumers, families, and seniors.

Price: Free (deepfake protection included in Norton 360 plans).

2. Guardio (Best for Browser-Based Protection)

Guardio works quietly in the background while you browse, catching threats your instincts might miss.

In testing across real-world scenarios, including fake wire transfer requests, cloned websites, AI-generated phishing emails, and deepfake audio, Guardio earned the top pick for consumers. It specializes in flagging malicious links, fake websites, and phishing pages the moment you encounter them before you click.

Best for: Heavy internet users, online shoppers, and anyone who clicks on a lot of links. Price: Paid subscription with free trial.

3. Google Safe Browsing + Gmail AI (Best Free Baseline Defense)

Already sitting in your browser and inbox, doing more work than you realize.

Google's AI has reduced airline customer service scams by more than 80% in Search. Meanwhile, Chrome's Enhanced Protection mode uses Gemini Nano, an on-device large language model, to provide an additional layer of defense against online scams offering protection even against scams that haven't been seen before.

On the email side, Google reported its models block over 99.9% of spam and phishing in Gmail.

Best for: Everyone, this should be your minimum baseline.

Price: Free with any Google account.

4. Hiya (Best for Phone Scam Detection)

Your phone is now the #1 scam delivery vector. Hiya was built specifically for this.

In testing over three weeks, Hiya correctly identified 94% of known scam numbers and flagged 71% of unknown numbers that later showed up in scam databases. False positives were low, which matters because you don't want to miss calls from your doctor.

Hiya Premium is around $4/month and is best for anyone worried about phone scams, especially elderly family members.

Best for: Protecting parents, grandparents, or anyone targeted by robocalls.

Price: Free basic version; ~$4/month for Premium.

5. Bitdefender Scamio (Best Chatbot-Style Checker)

Not everyone wants a full security suite. Scamio fills the gap with something simple and frictionless.

Bitdefender Scamio is an AI-powered scam detection chatbot that helps users check suspicious messages through chat platforms like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Discord, and a web app. Users can paste text, send links, upload screenshots, or scan QR codes to get a quick assessment of whether something looks like a scam.

Best for: People who want to quickly double-check a suspicious message without installing new software.

Price: Free.

6. McAfee Scam Detector (Best for Comprehensive Message Scanning)

McAfee Scam Detector helps identify scam messages across text, email, and online interactions. It focuses on flagging risky links, detecting scam patterns in messages, and warning users before or after they interact with something suspicious.

The AI-driven analysis is specifically trained to spot emotionally manipulative messaging, a hallmark of romance scams, fake charity appeals, and "family emergency" voice cloning attacks.

Best for: Users who want an all-in-one security suite with scam-specific protections.

Price: Bundled within McAfee's subscription plans.

7. Sensity (Best for Enterprise Deepfake Detection)

For security teams, media companies, and enterprises dealing with high-value deepfake threats.

Sensity detects AI-generated images, videos, and audio with impressive accuracy. In independent testing, it correctly flagged 91% of deepfake videos and correctly identified synthetic speech in 87% of AI-cloned voice samples.

Best for: Enterprise security teams, journalists, HR departments, and financial institutions.

Price: Enterprise pricing (contact vendor).

8. SEON ( Best AI Fraud Detection for Small Businesses)

SEON is an AI-powered fraud prevention platform designed for e-commerce, fintech, and gaming industries, focusing on real-time scam detection and risk assessment. It's particularly strong at catching synthetic identity fraud at the point of account creation, stopping scammers before they ever make a transaction. 

Best for: E-commerce stores, SaaS platforms, online gaming, and fintech startups.

Price: Flexible plans based on usage.

9. Microsoft Defender for Business (Best Enterprise Standard)

Microsoft Defender for Business is the enterprise standard for scam and phishing detection. It's an enterprise-grade tool for phishing and impersonation scam detection, fully integrated with Microsoft 365 ecosystems.

For organizations already inside the Microsoft stack, this is the most seamless and powerful option available.

Best for: Mid-to-large businesses running Microsoft 365 environments.

Price: Included in Microsoft 365 Business Premium and above.

These tools can help protect you from types of scams including fake videos, fake emails and fake websites. They can even detect scams that are made to look like they are coming from someone you know.

Here Are Some Things You Can Do Now To Stay Safe:

• Enable Chromes Enhanced Protection mode. It is free and easy to do.

• Never trust a voice call. Always call back on a number.

• Set a family code word. This can help you know if someone is really who they say they are.

• Use a chatbot checker for suspicious messages.

• Report every scam. This can help train intelligence to detect scams better.

So which tool should you start with? It depends on what you're most worried about. If you are worried about phone calls try Hiya. If you want to protect your browser and email try Google and Guardio. If you are worried, about videos try Norton Genie. If you are running a business try SEON or Microsoft Defender. If you just need to check a message try Bitdefender Scamio.

The bad guys are using intelligence to scam people. The only smart thing to do is to use intelligence to fight back.

At Engage AI our specialty is cutting through the noise. Helping businesses like yours put AI to work in ways that deliver real measurable results. Learn more about our services and book a consultation today.