Fake documents, calls and scams

How AI makes fake documents, fake voices and scam messages easier to create, what to check at work and why you report anything suspicious to your supervisor.

Why this matters for you

Frontline staff are often the first to see a document, take a call or read a message. That makes you a target. Someone who wants to cheat the system will try the counter, the reception desk or the office phone before anywhere else.

AI has made cheating easier. Anyone can now make a letter that looks official, a photo that looks real or a voice that sounds like someone you know. You do not need to be an expert to protect your office. You need a few simple habits and the confidence to stop and check.

What AI can fake

Documents. Letters, notifications, certificates, receipts and ID cards that look genuine, with logos, stamps and signatures copied from real ones.
Photos and videos. Pictures or clips of people saying or doing things they never did. These are called deepfakes.
Voices. A short recording of someone's voice can be used to make a fake voice that says anything. This is called voice cloning. A caller might sound exactly like your officer.
Messages. Emails, SMS and WhatsApp messages that look like they come from a senior officer, a bank or another office. Tricking people this way to get information or money is called phishing.

Warning signs

Be careful when a document, call or message:

is urgent. "Do this now", "before the office closes", "do not tell anyone".
asks you to skip the normal process. "Just this once", "the officer has already approved it".
asks for money, passwords, codes or citizens' details.
comes from a new number or email address, even if the name looks right.
looks slightly wrong. A strange reference number, a wrong designation, odd spelling, a stamp that looks pasted on or a date that does not fit.
cannot be checked. The sender gives you no way to confirm it through normal channels.

A real officer will not mind if you check. A scammer will try to stop you checking.

What to check

When something feels wrong, check it through a channel you already trust, not through the details given to you:

For a call or voice note from "your officer": hang up and call them back on the number you already have or go to their office in person.
For a letter or notification: compare it with a genuine one in your file. Check the reference number in your diary or register. Ask the issuing office using contact details you already have.
For a document a citizen brings: follow your office's normal checks. If something looks odd, do not accuse anyone. Politely say it needs to be checked and pass it to your supervisor.
For a message with a link: do not click it. Do not download attachments you were not expecting.

Do not rely on an AI tool to tell you whether a document is genuine. Tools that claim to detect fakes can be wrong in both directions. Checking with the real source is the only safe test.

You may use a chatbot to ask general questions about the warning signs in a message, using the prompt is this message a scam. But first remove any personal details and treat the answer as a hint, not proof.

Report to your supervisor

If you think something is fake or a scam:

do not act on it. Do not send money, share details, process the document or click links.
tell your supervisor straight away. Explain what happened and when.
keep the evidence. Keep the message, the document or a note of the call, with the date, time and number.
do not handle it alone. Your supervisor will decide the next step, including whether to report it further.

Reporting is not a sign of weakness. Even careful people get fooled sometimes. Reporting quickly protects you, your office and citizens. If you have already been tricked, report it anyway, as soon as you realise.

The guide on deepfakes and voice scams has more examples and advice for home as well as work.

Try it

Look at the last five messages in your personal SMS or email inbox that came from someone you do not know. For each one, go through the warning signs above. Count how many signs each message shows. Do not click any links while you do this. If you find a likely scam, delete it.

Check yourself

Name three warning signs that a call or message may be a scam.
If "your officer" calls from a new number asking for something urgent, what should you do?
What are the four steps when you think something is fake?

Answers: (1) Any three of: urgency, asking you to skip the normal process, asking for money, passwords, codes or citizens' details, a new number or address, something looks slightly wrong, it cannot be checked. (2) Hang up and call your officer back on the number you already have or see them in person. (3) Do not act on it, tell your supervisor straight away, keep the evidence and do not handle it alone.