McAfee’s Scam Detector identifies scams across text, email, and video
McAfee is introducing McAfee’s Scam Detector, a new feature that automatically identifies scams across text, email, and video.
Available now in all core McAfee plans at no extra cost, it arrives at a critical moment: nearly 1 in 3 Americans say they have fallen victim to an online scam in the last 12 months.
To meet this growing threat, McAfee is protecting customers with advanced, in-plan, AI-powered scam detection – and driving education and awareness through its Keep it Real campaign. Working with actor Chris Carmack and supported by FightCybercrime.org, McAfee is elevating scam survivor voices to help end scam stigma and keep others safe.
“At McAfee, we believe everyone should be able to live their lives online with confidence,” said Craig Boundy, CEO of online protection company McAfee. “The reality is that the volume, speed, and sophistication of today’s AI-driven scams have become a drain on people’s time, energy, and finances. By including text, email, and video scam detection within all core McAfee plans, we’re helping to democratize scam protection and empowering people to take control over their digital lives.”
As cybercriminals harness AI to craft convincing, personalized, and targeted scams at scale, it’s harder than ever to tell what’s real or fake. From deepfake investment videos to bogus delivery emails and fake toll text message scams, Americans face an average of 14 scams each day, according to McAfee’s research. Falling for just one can cost victims an average of $1,500.
Smart protection made simple
As scams become more advanced, McAfee is evolving to meet the threat with Scam Detector – proactive protection that’s simple, powerful, and built for the way people connect today. Between February and March 2025 alone, McAfee Labs saw scam texts nearly quadruple, with almost half of texts containing URLs using hidden links to disguise malicious intent.
Scam Detector uses advanced AI to spot and stop scams across text, email, and video before they can do harm, delivering real-time protection when and where it matters most. Core capabilities include:
- Proven accuracy: Text scam detection exceeds 99% accuracy
- Smarter detection: Suspicious text messages identified solely using URLs account for less than 10% of the scams McAfee flags. We go beyond the link, analyzing the full context of each message to better identify and stop scams
- Custom controls: Settings (High, Balanced, Low) let people tailor their level of protection
- On-demand scam check: Upload a message, screenshot, or link for speedy analysis and context
- Deepfake detection: Identifies AI-generated videos with 96% accuracy in seconds
- Built for modern communication: Works across apps, browsers, and devices, including iMessage, WhatsApp, Messenger, Gmail, and more
Designed with a mobile-first approach, McAfee’s Scam Detector meets people where scams happen most. With texts opened in just 90 seconds, compared to 90 minutes for email, speed is essential. On Android, SMS messages are auto-scanned, with alerts before opening, and on iPhone, suspicious messages are filtered or manually scanned via a quick check function.
Scam Detector also protects email, flagging scams in Gmail, Microsoft, and Yahoo, while explaining why messages were flagged to help customers build their scam-spotting skills. For deepfake detection, McAfee identifies AI-manipulated videos on YouTube, TikTok, and other platforms, all processed on-device to protect the person’s privacy.
In February 2025, McAfee Labs saw 59% of deepfake detections come from YouTube, more than all other domains combined. March showed similar trends, reinforcing YouTube’s role as a primary source of deepfake content and the growing need for tools that help people tell what’s real and what’s not.