It started with a phone call that sounded real enough to fool a family.
Annabelle Miller, a 16-year-old from Woodland Hills, California, said her grandparents nearly got scammed by a caller pretending to be her uncle. Now, after that close call, she has built a learning platform aimed at helping seniors spot fraud before they lose money or personal information.
From fake calls to phony texts, Miller said scammers are getting harder to detect, especially with artificial intelligence adding to the confusion.
“This guy pretending to be my uncle, who was like I got in a car accident, I need this much money — and my grandmother freaked out, and it was very real,” Miller said to CBS LA, after her grandparents nearly fell for the scam.
Miller responded by creating a game called Scout the Scam. She worked with the Motion Picture & Television Fund, where she volunteers, to refine and test it. The game is available for anyone to play.
She also leads workshops that guide seniors through real-life scenarios so they can tell the difference between legitimate contact and fraud.
At a recent presentation, Miller said one warning sign matters most.
“The main thing you want to look out for with a scam is urgency,” Miller explained.
The game’s welcome page lays out its purpose in plain language: “Find out the possibilities of AI, how to recognize and defend yourself from scams, and how to deny cookies. This game will do its best to prepare you to survive on the internet in the age of technology.”
The issue Miller is addressing is widespread. A recent AARP survey found that nearly one in four adults, about 110 million people, have lost money to fraud or have had their personal information misused.
Amy Nofziger, AARP’s Senior Director of Fraud Victim Support, said people need to be skeptical when someone contacts them asking for sensitive financial details.
“We need to question everything. If someone is calling you saying that they are with your bank, and they need your bank account information, or for you to transfer money out, it’s 100 per cent a scam.” Amy Nofziger/AARP Senior Director of Fraud Victim Support, said.
Nofziger said the request itself is a red flag.
“That’s not how banks operate. So my best advice is, always verify, and verify at the source.”
Miller said her aim is straightforward. She wants people to use the game and come away better prepared.
“My ultimate goal is just to have people play it. If it helps one person, then that’s enough.”
Her work has already earned recognition. Miller’s project received the Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles Gold Award, an honour given to fewer than six percent of scouts.
She will officially receive the honour later this spring.
