Protecting your family, assets, and identity today is mostly about accepting that scams will get more convincing and then building systems that fail safely: assume anyone can fake your voice, face, or email, and require independent verification plus strong technical controls.[1][2]
Mindset: Skepticism Over Trust
From a secular, naturalistic viewpoint, there is no cosmic protection against fraud; there are only probabilities, incentives, and safeguards.[2]
So the core stance is:
- Treat every unexpected request for money, secrecy, or speed as hostile until proven otherwise, even if it “comes from” a loved one, a boss, a bank, or the government.[3][4]
- Assume audio, video, screenshots, and caller ID can all be forged with cheap AI tools, including highly realistic voice clones in under a minute of sample audio.[5][2]
That mindset shapes the rest of the practical steps.
High‑Impact Digital Security Steps
Focus first on accounts that can move money, control identity, or access sensitive data.
- Turn on **multi‑factor authentication** (prefer app or hardware key, not SMS) for email, bank, brokerage, tax accounts, password manager, and major cloud accounts; this remains one of the single most effective defenses against account takeover.[6][7]
- Where available, switch to **passkeys** (FIDO2/WebAuthn) instead of passwords; they are phishing‑resistant and do MFA in one step using device + biometric or PIN.[8][9][10]
- Use a reputable **password manager** and unique, long passwords for everything, especially email and financial logins.[7]
- Keep **devices and software updated**, run reputable security software, and enable automatic updates on phones and computers.[11][1]
- Treat email and phone as the “keys to the kingdom”; if those fall, everything else is easier to compromise.[7]
Identity & Financial Protection
Because AI scams scale cheaply, assume your data will be exposed at some point and plan for rapid detection and response.[12][2]
- Freeze or lock your **credit** with all major bureaus unless you actively need new credit; this blocks most new‑account fraud.[13][12]
- Set up **bank and card alerts** for every transaction over a low threshold so you see misuse quickly.[12][7]
- Consider an **identity monitoring/response service** that includes credit monitoring, dark‑web checks, real‑time alerts, and recovery assistance with some insurance coverage.[12]
- -Use IRS and tax‑agency tools like **Identity Protection PINs** where available to reduce tax‑refund fraud.[6]
For a family, make this a shared plan: who to call, what to freeze, and what accounts to check if something looks wrong.[7][12]
Deepfakes & AI Scams: Practical Rules
Deepfakes are now used to impersonate executives, family members, and officials, often tied to urgent financial requests.[14][15][16]
- Establish **“out‑of‑band” verification rules**: for any money move, password reset, or confidential info request, you and your family must confirm through a pre‑agreed channel (e.g., call a known number, in‑person code word, or secure messaging thread), not via the channel making the request.[17][3][14]
- Teach your family red flags for deepfake content: slight lip‑sync issues, odd blinking, mismatched lighting, or strangely urgent tone combined with secrecy demands.[16][17]
- Be especially wary of “too good to be true” offers, investment pitches, romance approaches, or tech‑support pop‑ups that ask for remote access or payments in crypto/gift cards/wire.[4][3]
The principle: no single piece of media or identity evidence (voice, video, caller ID, email) should ever be enough to trigger a high‑impact action.[1][2]
Family Governance & Documentation
A secular approach treats planning as part of rational care for those you love: reduce chaos if something happens, and limit opportunities for fraud around illness or death.[7][12]
Maintain an updated, **central but secure record** (often via an encrypted password manager + a short written guide) of key accounts, policies, and contacts so a trusted person can step in if you are incapacitated.[12]
- Use legal instruments (will, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, beneficiary designations, possibly a living trust) to define who can act, and make sure they understand your security practices and verification rules.[11]
- Regularly review who has access to bank accounts, shared email, cloud drives, and important devices, and remove access that is no longer needed.[11][7]
- Finally, treat digital hygiene like exercise at your age: not a one‑off project, but a recurring habit. A short quarterly “security review” with your family—updates, alerts, simulations of scam calls—will do more for real‑world safety than any single tool.[2][3][1]
Clker.com
Sources
[1](https://us.norton.com/blog/online-scams/top-5-ai-and-deepfakes-2025)
[2](https://sift.com/index-reports-ai-fraud-q2-2025/)
[3](https://gdprlocal.com/ai-scams/)
[4](https://www.lasher.com/ai-powered-scams-are-on-the-rise-what-you-need-to-know-and-how-to-protect-yourself/)
[5](https://www.adaptivesecurity.com/blog/deepfake-scams)
[6](https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/security-summit-protect-against-tax-identity-theft-with-multi-factor-ids-identity-protection-pins-irs-online-accounts)
[7](https://consumer.ftc.gov/identity-theft-online-security)
[8](https://www.passkeys.com/passkey-vs-mfa)
[9](https://www.passkeycentral.org/introduction-to-passkeys/passkey-security)
[10](https://fidoalliance.org/passkeys/)
[11](https://www.calpers.ca.gov/education-center/using-mycalpers/cybersecurity-best-practices/preventing-identity-theft)
[12](https://www.openedr.com/blog/best-identity-theft-protection/)
[13](https://www.ftc.gov/media/5-ways-help-protect-your-identity)
[14](https://www.jpmorgan.com/insights/fraud/fraud-protection/ai-scams-deep-fakes-impersonations-oh-my)
[15](https://newsroom.trendmicro.com/2025-07-09-AI-Generated-Media-Drives-Real-World-Fraud,-Identity-Theft,-and-Business-Compromise)
[16](https://blog.avast.com/how-deepfake-scams-are-fueling-a-new-wave-of-fraud)
[17](https://www.aba.com/about-us/press-room/press-releases/aba-foundation-and-fbi-joint-infographic-on-deepfake-scams)
[18](https://deepstrike.io/blog/deepfake-statistics-2025)
[19](https://cheatsheetseries.owasp.org/cheatsheets/Multifactor_Authentication_Cheat_Sheet.html)
[20](https://safety.google/safety/authentication/passkey/)
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