Anthropic just released Claude Fable 5, calling it the most powerful AI model it has ever made widely available and praising its skills in biology, among others. But the model won’t answer basic biology questions — the kind you’d expect a high schooler to handle. Instead, it hands off the query to the former flagship model, Claude Opus 4.8.
Technology
Top 12 elderly fraud scams of 2024
Senior citizens are often targets for scams, and as scams are getting more sophisticated, it’s getting easier to deceive even the most tech-savvy person. Elder fraud involves a variety of scams targeting seniors, from fake prizes to pleas for help from their “grandchildren,” resulting in an annual loss of $3 billion, according to the FBI. Seniors are often targeted due to their good credit, financial security and trusting nature. Here are the top elderly fraud scams of the year:
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A man using his phone to shop (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
1) Tech support or home repair scam
In this scam, people pose as tech support or home repair professionals from reputable companies like Amazon, offering to fix non-existent issues. Seniors should be wary of unsolicited calls and independently verify the caller’s identity. In some cases, they may even show up at your front door, telling you that they noticed your roof needs repair or something along those lines.
A man on his laptop (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
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2) Relative phone scam
This scam is one of the worst ones. Fraudsters claim to be a grandchild or close relative urgently needing financial help. The scammers will say something like their grandchild has been in an accident and needs money to help them get to the hospital or something along those lines.
If the senior catches on and realizes it’s a scam, the fraudster will say they have kidnapped their grandchild and won’t release them until the senior pays up. In most cases, it’s a scam. Before acting, always verify the story with other family members and try calling your grandchild. (This is a good excuse to encourage them to answer the phone more often.)
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A man using phone and laptop at the same time (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
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3) Government impersonation scam
This is when scammers pretend to be officials from agencies like the IRS, DEA or FBI and threaten legal action unless a payment is made. Scammers can also do this by phone spoofing, making it so that when they call the person they are targeting, their name and number actually show up in the caller ID as one of these agencies. Remember, these agencies will never call to demand money, and most companies won’t, either.
4) Sweepstakes or lottery scam
Wouldn’t it be nice to find out you’ve just won the lottery? Well, chances are, the exciting news is actually a scam. The sweepstakes or lottery scam happens when seniors receive calls from a scammer claiming they’ve won a sweepstakes or lottery but must pay a fee to claim their prize. They’ll never ask you to pay money first if it’s an authentic sweepstakes.
A person holding lottery tickets (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
5) TV and radio scam
Scammers place ads for fraudulent services on TV or radio, tricking seniors into calling and handing over money, whether for a certain product or service. Always research companies thoroughly before buying from them.
A woman on her phone (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
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6) Geek Squad phishing scam
In this particular scam, fraudsters send fake Geek Squad invoices via email, prompting seniors to call a provided number. During the call, scammers steal personal information under the guise of resolving a fake issue. Avoid clicking on suspicious links, and verify invoices through official company contacts.
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7) Overpayment scam
If you’re one to balance your checkbook the “old-fashioned” way, then you may have a hard time falling for this scam. Here, they’ll trick victims into believing they were accidentally overpaid for an item, service, bill or subscription, convincing them to refund the fake overpayment. To do this, they’ll ask for your sensitive data, including your bank account information. Always verify such claims with your bank or the relevant company before taking any action.
8) Unsubscribe email scam
Similar to the above, emails in your inbox that claim to help you unsubscribe from services are often actually phishing attempts to steal personal information. Sometimes, there will even be an “unsubscribe” link right in the email. Always use official websites to manage subscriptions and avoid clicking on unknown email links.
9) Health insurance scam
When it’s that time of year again to enroll in your health insurance plan, be on the lookout for scammers that take advantage of this. They’ll call offering fake health insurance plans or services, pretending to be health insurance brokers or what have you, often requesting personal information to “see what you’re eligible for.” Verify any health insurance offer with your provider directly.
A man using his laptop and holding cash (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
10) Charity scam
It’s not uncommon for elderly people to be generous with their giving. But you don’t want to give too much or give it to a charity that’s not really a charity! Another tactic by fraudsters is to manipulate elders by soliciting donations for fake charities, especially after natural disasters. In this day and age, it’s not very common for these charities to call, but they could. Never give out your information or money right away. Thank them for their call, take the time to research an organization and make sure it is legitimate before deciding what to do.
11) Romance scam
Finally, scammers build fake romantic relationships online to extract money from seniors. A senior who’s feeling lonely and wants to build a connection with someone may fall for this scam without realizing it, assuming the person is genuine. If they do ask for money, they justify it by feeling connected to the person until it’s too late. Though plenty of seniors find genuine love online, sometimes meeting lifelong partners, be cautious about sharing personal information or sending money to someone you’ve only met online. There could be ulterior motives.
A woman sitting on a bench and looking out at the sea (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
12) Artificial intelligence scams
Artificial intelligence (AI) scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated and pose a significant threat to seniors. These scams use AI technology to create convincing fake audio, video or text messages that appear to come from trusted sources. Here are some key points about AI scams targeting the elderly:
- Deepfake voice scams: AI can clone voices, allowing scammers to impersonate family members or authority figures in phone calls, making the “grandparent scam” even more convincing.
- AI-generated phishing emails: Scammers use AI to craft personalized, grammatically correct emails that appear legitimate, making them harder to detect as fraud.
- Chatbot impersonation: AI chatbots can mimic customer service representatives, tech support or government officials, tricking seniors into revealing personal information or making payments.
- Fake video calls: Advanced AI can create realistic video avatars, enabling scammers to impersonate loved ones or officials in video chats.
- AI-enhanced social engineering: Scammers use AI to gather and analyze personal information from social media, creating highly targeted and personalized scams.
To protect against AI scams, seniors should be cautious of unsolicited communications, verify identities through trusted channels, and stay informed about the latest AI-based fraud techniques. It’s crucial to educate older adults about these evolving threats and encourage them to report suspicious activities to the National Elder Fraud Hotline.
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12 tips to protect against senior scams
As scams targeting seniors become increasingly sophisticated, it’s crucial for older adults to arm themselves with knowledge and caution. The following 12 tips can help seniors stay one step ahead of fraudsters and protect their financial well-being and personal information.
1) Be wary of unsolicited calls, emails or messages. Never give out personal information or send money to unknown individuals.
2) Take your time and don’t act quickly under pressure. Scammers often create a false sense of urgency.
3) Verify the identity of callers claiming to be relatives in distress. Contact other family members to confirm the story before taking any action.
4) Be suspicious of requests for unusual payment methods like gift cards or wire transfers.
5) Keep computer and smartphone security software up to date and use two-factor authentication when possible.
6) Carefully review bills and credit card statements for unauthorized charges.
7) Be cautious of “free” offers that require payment for shipping or other fees.
8) Don’t trust caller ID alone, as scammers can fake legitimate numbers.
9) Be skeptical of unsolicited investment opportunities or deals that seem too good to be true.
10) Report suspected scams to local law enforcement, the National Elder Fraud Hotline (833-372-8311) or the Federal Trade Commission.
11) Don’t click on links in emails or text messages from unknown sources. If you’re unsure, go directly to the official website by typing the address into your browser. The best way to protect yourself from clicking malicious links that install malware that may get access to your private information is to have antivirus protection installed on all your devices. This can also alert you of any phishing emails or ransomware scams. Get my picks for the best 2024 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices.
12) Invest in personal data removal services. While no service promises to remove all your data from the internet, having a removal service is great if you want to constantly monitor and automate the process of continuously removing your information from hundreds of sites over a longer period. Remove your personal data from the internet with my top picks here.
By staying vigilant and following these precautions, seniors can better protect themselves from falling victim to fraudulent schemes.
Kurt’s key takeaways
Scammers generally don’t care who their victims are, but they know who they can target to execute their tactics better. Don’t fall for them. If anything in your gut tells you the situation is unusual, it probably is. After all, you’ve gained much life experience to know if something isn’t right. The general rule of thumb is that the more urgent the situation is that they are asking for money, chances are it is a scam. Don’t let your emotions get involved, and take a minute to figure out what’s really going on.
Have you ever been in a situation like this where you realized it was a scam? Or, have you maybe even fallen for one of these before? What happened? What did you do? Let us know by writing us at Cyberguy.com/Contact.
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Bluesky will be getting “communities,” which will function as smaller spaces where you can “go deeper and hang out with people who care about the same stuff” sometime this year, according to head of product Alex Benzer. They will be built on the decentralized AT Protocol that underpins Bluesky, with Benzer saying that “it’s a new structure for everyone” that’s part of the “Atmosphere” (a shorthand for the AT Protocol ecosystem).
Benzer listed out a “few ideas we have in mind so far” in a thread. “On Bluesky, you’ll be able to create communities, join them, post in them, and get updates,” Benzer says. “The core features on Bluesky stay simple. The magic comes from communities also existing on the open web. This means you can truly customize them and add features with other Atmospheric apps and tools.”
Communities will get a handle that “doubles as a URL,” and if you go to that URL, you’ll “land on a custom homepage for the community,” according to Benzer. “Builders can also host a completely custom experience there instead.” There will be three privacy levels for communities: public, invite-only, and private. And each community would have its own feed, Benzer says.
Benzer’s thread follows Bluesky COO Rose Wang saying last week that the company wanted to move away from being a “public square” and that it was “very inspired by companies like Reddit.” Meta’s Threads is currently testing a communities feature, while X announced in April that it would be shutting down its own take on communities.
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Amazon is getting ready for Prime Day, and you can bet scammers are, too. In fact, I received a fake Amazon email that looked like an account recovery warning. It claimed there was unusual activity on my account and pushed me to “Sign In to Verify.”
That kind of message can make anyone uneasy. It certainly did for me. After all, who wants to lose access to an account right before a major sale? Then came the part that really stood out: the email said I might need to upload a document to confirm my account.
That was the giveaway. A real deal can save you money. A fake Amazon email can cost you your login, your payment details and even your identity.
Here’s how this scam works, the red flags that exposed it and the steps you should take before clicking any Amazon account warning.
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A fake Amazon account recovery email is targeting shoppers ahead of Prime Day, using urgency and document requests to steal sensitive information. (Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Fake Amazon email warning before Prime Day
The timing made this phishing email more convincing. With Prime Day coming up, many people are already watching for Amazon emails. They may be checking delivery updates, deal alerts and order confirmations. That creates the perfect opening for a fake account warning.
The email used the same tricks you see in many phishing scams. It claimed there was account trouble, used urgent language and pushed me toward a sign-in button. That is exactly what scammers want.
Screenshot of scam fake Amazon email (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
They want you to react before you inspect the message. They want you to sign in before you think through the request. And in this case, they wanted me to believe a document upload was part of a normal Amazon account check.
Amazon phishing scam red flags
This fake Amazon email had several warning signs. First, it landed in my junk folder. That alone does not prove fraud, but it should make you cautious.
Second, the subject line sounded awkward. It said, “Account Recovery: Sign-in and Verify your Amazon account.” That wording felt stiff and a little off.
Third, the greeting was generic. The email said “Dear Customer” even though it claimed to be about my Amazon account. That alone does not prove the email is fake, but it adds to the concern.
Fourth, the message created urgency. It claimed the account was on hold and that orders or subscriptions had already been canceled.
Fifth, the sender display name said “Amazon,” while the address appeared as account_update@amazon.com. That may look official at first. Still, scammers can spoof sender names or make email addresses look convincing.
Under the yellow “Sign In to Verify” button, the email also says, “Don’t share it with others.” That may sound protective, but in this context, it felt like another attempt to make the fake warning seem official.
The biggest warning sign came from the document request. The email said I would have the option to upload a document with the required information to verify the account.
That should stop you cold. Scammers may be after more than your Amazon password. They may also want your driver’s license, passport, address, phone number or payment details.
Screenshot of fake Amazon email sender address (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Why fake Amazon account emails fool shoppers
This scam works because it hits a very real fear. Most people do not want to lose access to an online shopping account. That concern grows when a big sale is about to start. If you are planning to buy something on Prime Day, an account warning can feel urgent.
The email also borrowed Amazon’s familiar look. It used the Amazon name, a logo area and a yellow sign-in button. It also included a footer that appeared to show an Amazon.com link. That can make the message feel safer than it really is.
Here is the problem. The visible link text in an email can mislead you. A link can appear to point to Amazon while sending you somewhere else. It can also pass through tracking links, redirects or look-alike pages. That is why you should avoid signing in through any account warning email.
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Scammers are impersonating Amazon with convincing account alerts designed to capture login credentials, payment details and personal documents. (Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
What happens if you click a fake Amazon link
If you click the link, you may land on a fake Amazon sign-in page. It may look close enough to fool you. Once you enter your email and password, scammers can try to access your real Amazon account. They may check your saved payment methods, shipping addresses and order history.
They may also try that same password on other websites. That becomes a bigger risk if you reuse passwords.
The document request adds another layer of danger. If a fake page asks for your ID, scammers could use that information for identity theft, account takeovers or other fraud. That is why one quick click can turn into a much bigger mess.
Ways to stay safe from fake Amazon emails
A fake Amazon email can look convincing at first, so the best move is to slow down and use these simple checks before you click, sign in or share anything.
1) Do not click the sign-in button
Skip buttons like “Sign In to Verify,” “View details” or “Restore access.” Open the Amazon app or type Amazon.com into your browser yourself.
2) Check Amazon’s Message Center
After signing in directly, go to Your Account > Message Center. If the alert is real, you should see a matching message there.
3) Watch for pressure language
Scammers often say your account is locked, your orders were canceled, or you must act right away. That pressure is designed to make you click before thinking.
4) Never upload ID through an email link
If an email asks for a passport, driver’s license or other document, stop. Contact Amazon through the app or website before sending anything.
5) Use a password manager
A password manager can help you spot fake login pages. If the page is fake, your saved Amazon password usually will not autofill. Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at CyberGuy.com.
6) Turn on two-step verification
7) Use strong antivirus software
Install strong antivirus software on your computer, phone and tablet. Good security software can help detect malicious links, phishing pages, malware and other threats before they do damage. This is especially important if you clicked a suspicious link or downloaded anything from a fake email. Security software should back up your smart habits, not replace them. Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at CyberGuy.com.
8) Use a data removal service
Scammers often build more convincing attacks with information they find about you online. That can include your name, address, phone number, relatives, old usernames and other personal details from people-search sites and data brokers. A data removal service can help remove your personal information from many of those sites. That makes it harder for scammers to personalize phishing emails and identity theft attempts. Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting CyberGuy.com.
9) Report the suspicious email
Forward suspicious Amazon emails to reportascam@amazon.com. Then delete the message from your inbox or junk folder.
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Cybersecurity experts warn consumers to avoid clicking links in Amazon account warning emails and verify alerts directly through Amazon. (David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Kurt’s key takeaways
Prime Day is a great time to find real deals, but it is also a busy season for fake Amazon emails. Scammers know shoppers are checking delivery updates, watching for discounts and hoping nothing gets in the way of a good buy. That is what made this email so sneaky. It used a familiar fear at the perfect moment: losing access to your account right before a major sale. The safest move is to slow down before you click. Do not trust the button. Do not trust the sender name alone. Open the Amazon app or type Amazon.com into your browser and check your account yourself.
Have you ever received an email that looked official enough to make you click, and what finally made you stop? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com.
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HOW TO DETECT FAKE AMAZON EMAILS AND AVOID IMPERSONATION SCAMS
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It isn’t because Fable doesn’t know the answers. It’s because Anthropic won’t let it, by design.
Fable is a public-facing, Mythos-class model, a family so capable at cybersecurity tasks Anthropic said it was too dangerous to release publicly. But while Anthropic has spent much of the extended Mythos rollout warning about cybersecurity, it is biology where Fable’s guardrails are the most obvious — and most limiting.
When I tried the model, it refused to answer a range of basic biology questions, many that felt about as far away from any plausible safety risk as any question could be. It would not respond to “tell me about cell membranes” or answer “what are mitochondria,” that famous powerhouse of the cell. It refused to explain “what is a prion,” the proteinaceous particles behind mad cow disease, or “how mRNA vaccines work.”
“We made this tradeoff so customers could benefit from the model’s capabilities sooner without the risks.”
The restrictions applied to ordinary and objectively rather harmless medical queries too. Fable would not answer “what causes hay fever,” explain how asthma medicine works, explain how antibiotic resistance arises, or tell me what Ebola is and how it spreads. Some of my basic queries occasionally got through, with Fable answering questions like “what is cancer” and “what is DNA.” When Fable refused, Opus 4.8 generally answered perfectly well.
Anthropic says the broad biology filters are an intentional choice and are deliberately conservative, with bioweapons the primary concern. “With the launch of Claude Fable 5, our first Mythos-class model, we believe models now have a greater ability to accomplish real-world scientific tasks and for malicious actors to potentially use our models for highly risky biological research,” spokesperson Paruul Maheshwary told The Verge. “We have always used classifiers to block our models from helping with bioweapons-related requests. To deploy Fable 5 safely, we believe it was necessary to be overly conservative with our safeguards so they block most queries tied to biology work.”
Anthropic has previously highlighted four key areas where it would throttle Fable’s responses for safety: chemistry, biology, cybersecurity, and distillation, a technique for training smaller AIs using the outputs of larger ones. The company has accused Chinese rivals like DeepSeek of using distillation on its models on an “industrial” scale.
While I could not meaningfully test distillation, Fable seemed more willing to answer questions about chemistry and cybersecurity. For example, it gave a basic overview of the explosive TNT, though withheld synthesis instructions “for obvious reasons.” It readily answered questions on the use of chlorine gas as a chemical weapon, common password threats, and nuclear fusion and fission, as well as explaining how to secure an iPhone from hackers. It still limits: Fable deferred to Opus when I asked it about sarin gas, a highly toxic nerve agent. Fable and Opus both refused the prompt “how to make anthrax,” and Claude paused the chat entirely. That made sense. The mitochondria prompt refusal seems like a false positive.
“We made this tradeoff so customers could benefit from the model’s capabilities sooner without the risks,” Maheshwary explained, adding that Anthropic is working hard to improve its detection and reduce the false positives. “We intend to make Mythos-class models available without these safeguards to the broader biology and life sciences community so these capabilities can be used to accelerate biomedical research and drug discovery.”
Anthropic did not answer questions about whether this kind of restricted release will become the new norm for future models.
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