The Security Machine · Online safety
Verify the request.
Protect the people you trust.
A convincing message, familiar voice, video, or social profile does not establish who is asking. Scammers can impersonate someone you know, use AI-generated audio and video, or take over an existing account.
Guidance reviewed October 7, 2026. This updated guide brings together the practical online-safety topics from our earlier AI-era security articles.
Pause and verify independently
Urgency, secrecy, and an unexpected change of phone number or payment details deserve a second look. End the call or pause the conversation. Contact the person using a number you already know, rather than a number or link in the message. If you cannot reach them, check with another trusted person before acting.
For relatives in the Philippines or elsewhere, agree ahead of time on trusted contacts and how to handle an urgent request across time zones. A delayed reply does not confirm the story. A private family phrase can be an additional check; use it alongside independent contact and keep it off social media.
Do not rely on spotting a glitch in a video or recognizing a voice. Check the request itself through a trusted route.
Protect access to your accounts
Use long, unique passwords and a password manager to help maintain them. Turn on multi-factor authentication, especially for email, financial, and social accounts. Where available, consider an authenticator app or security key. Never give a login verification code to someone who contacts you.
Keep your devices and apps updated. Review what you share publicly, including information that could help someone impersonate you, and back up important files and photos.
If you already sent money or shared information
Contact your bank, payment app, or remittance provider through its official channel promptly. Ask whether a payment can be stopped or reversed, and save messages and transaction details. Recovery depends on the circumstances.
For U.S. scam reports, use ReportFraud.ftc.gov. The FBI accepts internet-crime reports at IC3.gov. If personal information was misused, IdentityTheft.gov provides recovery steps. For Philippine reporting information, visit the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center.
Official sources and further reading
Use the same care at work.
Organizations also need a trusted process for checking payment requests, vendor-account changes, and instructions that arrive through AI-generated or compromised communications. MEI's Secure AI service reviews access, actions, and practical approval boundaries.