Start with the right question
A convincing voice or video can create urgency. If money or account access is at risk, contact the relevant provider promptly through a known channel rather than waiting to complete an evidence folder. Documentation supports that response; it should not delay it.
Work through the checks
Preserve the contact
Keep the original message, call log, voicemail, or file if safely available. Record the account handle, phone number displayed, time zone, and how the contact reached you. Avoid repeatedly opening suspicious attachments.
Record the requested action
Write down the exact payment destination, claimed emergency, requested credentials, and deadline. Save transaction references separately from public screenshots. These details can matter even if the media's origin remains unknown.
Verify independently
Contact the supposed person or organization using a number or method already known to be genuine. Record the result. Do not use a verification link or phone number supplied inside the suspicious message.
Label uncertainty
Use suspected synthetic media unless reliable evidence establishes more. Preserve any detector output with its tool and date, but do not turn a probability score into proof of fabrication or identity.
A record you can use
- Contact channel and timestamp
- Original file or message reference
- Claimed identity
- Requested transfer or access
- Independent verification result
Keep this record locally. Use document references rather than publishing account numbers or other people's personal details. An empty field means the information is still missing; it should not be filled with an AI guess.
Worked example
A fictional employee receives a voice message that sounds like a manager requesting an urgent transfer. The employee calls the manager through the company directory and learns no request was made. The report includes the voicemail and payment instructions without claiming to know which AI tool produced the voice.
This example is fictional and illustrates the method, not a real case result.
Limits and next steps
Do not send more money to an alleged recovery service or share the suspected media publicly with personal information attached. If there is an immediate safety threat, use appropriate emergency assistance.
Follow the payment provider's reporting process and relevant official scam guidance. Keep case numbers and follow-up dates in a separate log, and avoid promising that a report will recover the funds.