The woman, a retired teacher, was smart and tech-savvy. She was recently divorced, met a man online, and after a few months of phone calls he suggested she make payments on his credit cards. Then, he said, if she gave him her account information and logins, he’d pay off hers, increasing her credit rating.

She sensed he was a good person. He wasn’t. She lost $40,000.

I know. You’re saying (or shouting), “What in the world was she thinking?!” But she is not alone. These I-could-kick-myself moments are pretty common.

The Global Anti-Scam Alliance, an independent watchdog group, says nearly 80 percent of us face a persuasive scam weekly, and a quarter of us have been victims in the last year, a number that is likely low since few people want to admit to such a thing.

The Federal Trade Commission in December reported that today, such fraud losses among people over 60 – the most vulnerable group – quadrupled from about $600 million in 2020 to $2.4 billion in 2024, driven by large losses from investment scams (often $100,000 or more each), romance scams or impersonations.

The good news: We are getting smarter about it (does anyone fall for the African prince anymore?) The bad news: The scams have gotten slicker.

For instance, scammers can grab a few moments’ sound bite of the voice of a family member, then with artificial intelligence can generate a recording where that person’s voice says they are in trouble (with the law, in the hospital or in some dangerous foreign country) and they need you to wire money right away.

Beyond that, AI can make the scammers’ job easier. One AI firm recently developed a product that it feared was so good at finding vulnerabilities in secure systems, it only released it to entities that might need to plug holes in theirs. Increasingly, new AI tech will provide opportunities for scammers.

Typically, scammers want your personal and financial information so they can tap into your accounts or impersonate you. They might also want access to your devices so they can gather information or even record your keystrokes to learn account information.

It’s important to remember that they typically will play on emotions – asking you to help with a worthy cause, presenting a threat, offering a chance for a big payout, or prospects for romance or stress-reducing assistance of some sort.

In one case, the very official-looking website for a well-known national “geek-run” computer repair service actually is a scam site. Many people needing tech support have headed to the fake site through an online search and have granted the scammers at the fake site access to their computer – even some people who were seeking help because they’d already been compromised, doubling their problem. Ugh.

Scammers often present as legitimate agencies – the IRS, Social Security, law enforcement or even the agency handling toll road passes. They’ll ask you to click to get more information or get a refund – or handle a legal proceeding. One suggests you missed jury duty and need to contact the court. They might say there is a pressing problem with your PayPal, Apple card or bank account.

They can impersonate a wireless company and say you need to update information or a tech security company and warn that your system has been compromised, and you need to take action. An innocent-looking online invitation, or e-vite, may offer a link that will allow scammers access to your computer.

Scammers may even suggest they have embarrassing information and threaten that you need to contact them to be certain it isn’t released.

There are still many offers, rewards or refunds that seem legitimate. One says you have overpaid a vendor, and the refund must be directly deposited in your account, so you should provide the info. Others offer investment or crypto opportunities.

And while the African prince may have gone to a better place, there are still scams that ask you to support a worthy cause. They might suggest you purchase gift cards, which can’t be tracked. A scammer email might come to you from your church or your volunteer group with familiar names, asking for support and often requesting you buy gift cards.

So, apart from shutting down all your devices, paying for everything with cash and hiding under the covers, what can you do? Here are some simple tips.

Click carefully. Pause and be suspicious. Don’t rush to respond. Question any request for information or access to your devices.

Don’t be persuaded by emails or other promotions just because they look familiar or legitimate, or because they seem urgent.

Go to the source. If a suspicious or money-seeking email seems to come from someone you know, write or call them separately. If it’s from a familiar institution, find a legitimate way to reach them and check on it.

Question any online requests for money. Few legitimate entities will ask that way.

Check to see if the phone number or email address of the inquiring sender is familiar or seems legitimate.

Read about and talk to others about current scams. The latest info is available at FBI.gov on its scam page, at GASA.org from the Global Anti-Scam Alliance and at fraud.org, a project of the National Consumers League.

Bottom line: If something seems too good to be true, it probably is.