ConsumerAffairs pasted a reader's 'Microsoft 365 deactivation' email into ChatGPT, which rated it very likely phishing. It pointed to the scare tactics, vague wording, a big 'Verify Here' button, an unrelated company footer and a link that bounced through a non-Microsoft address.
I've received an email that might be a scam. Here is the full text, including the sender address and any link addresses I can see (I have NOT clicked anything): [PASTE EMAIL]. It claims to be from [COMPANY]. Please list the warning signs and any signs it could be genuine, tell me how confident you are, and explain how I can check safely by going to the official website or app myself instead of using the links.
Replace the [PLACEHOLDERS] with your own details before you send it.
How to try it
- Copy the email text and sender address into ChatGPT without clicking any buttons or links.
- Ask it to list red flags and how sure it is, then read through its reasons.
- Check your account by typing the company’s address into your browser yourself, and delete or report the email if it’s fake.
More tech help use cases
Cut down ads in your children’s phone games with Grok’s step-by-step help
A parent asked Grok how to stop ads appearing in their children's games on an Android phone. Grok walked them through the network settings to the Private DNS option and adding an ad-blocking DNS provider's hostname, after which the ads were under control.
My child plays games on my [PHONE MODEL AND ANDROID/iOS VERSION] and keeps seeing ads. Walk me step by step through safe, free ways to reduce ads on the phone, for example a family-friendly ad-blocking Private DNS setting, telling me exactly which menus to tap. Explain any downsides, which provider you're suggesting and why, and how to undo it.
Check a suspicious text message with Grok
One user received a text she suspected was a scam and asked Grok to check it. Grok also explained how to forward the message to her mobile carrier to report it.
I've received this text message: '[PASTE THE TEXT, WITHOUT CLICKING ANY LINKS]'. Does it show signs of a scam? Explain which parts are suspicious, what I should do (and not do), and how to report it to my mobile network in [COUNTRY].
Get unstuck when a Windows update breaks your favourite program, with Claude
When columnist Joy Schwabach's favourite game, Peggle, stopped working, another assistant sent her on a wild goose chase. Claude suggested a beta Windows Insider update was the likely cause and guided her to download an official Windows 11 file and run setup, which reinstalled Windows, kept her files and fixed the game, though she had to reinstall a few apps.
My [PROGRAM] stopped working on Windows [VERSION] after [RECENT CHANGE, E.G. AN UPDATE]. I've already tried [WHAT YOU TRIED]. What are the most likely causes, from simplest to most drastic fix? Walk me through each step in plain English, and before any step that could remove apps or files, tell me exactly what will be kept, what I should back up and how to undo it.
Reference: ConsumerAffairs