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My 70+ uncle, a retired engineer who’s always been more about books than bytes, recently became the talk of family conversations.

Why, you ask? Mark Zuckerberg (yes, the one and only) sent him a Facebook invite and wanted to meet him.

Naturally, Uncle was amused, though a bit skeptical. His first thought? “Maybe the scammers have been spying on my YouTube history of Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk videos.” (Because, of course, if you’re watching them, you must be on their radar, right?)

As any vigilant niece would, I chimed in with a heartfelt warning about scams. “Be careful,” I said, “These scammers are pros—they’ll pose as everyone from High Court judges to FedEx agents delivering imaginary parcels.” Uncle nodded and said, “Yes, I read about that in the papers.”

But here’s the plot twist—before I could launch into my niece-ly lecture, Uncle casually mentioned, “Don’t worry. I got suspicious too and turned to my trusty friend, Meta AI.”

Wait, what? My uncle, a tech wizard?

Turns out, he’d asked Meta AI a few pointed questions:

✔️ How do I identify a scam?

✔️ Should I share my OTP? (Spoiler: Nope.)

✔️ Are links from strangers safe? (Double nope.)

✔️ Can I wire money to someone I just met on Messenger? (Absolutely not.)

And here’s the kicker—when Uncle wanted authenticity, the scammer shared an ID claiming it was Mark Zuckerberg’s official ID, complete with a dummy number. Naturally, Uncle wasn’t convinced. He shared the ID with Meta AI and asked, “Is this real?”

Meta AI replied: “I cannot confirm personal information, but this seems suspicious.” It went on to share a list of Don’t Do’s:

  • Don’t share personal credentials.
  • Avoid clicking suspicious links.
  • Never send money to strangers.

With this solid advice, Uncle not only dodged the scam but walked away with newfound respect for AI. “This Meta AI is like my new genie—it doesn’t just grant wishes; it stops me from making dumb ones!”

Now, Uncle uses AI for everything:

  • His smartwatch updates him about his steps (yes, he brags about his 10K daily steps).
  • AI tells him whether it’s going to rain (so he never forgets his umbrella).
  • It even helps him find the best deals for his pets.

And honestly, I’m just amazed at how he’s turned AI into his personal assistant, bodyguard, and even buddy. Who knew retirement would look like this—active, alert, and AI-certified?

So, here’s my takeaway: if my 70+ uncle can outsmart a scammer with a dash of suspicion and a sprinkle of AI validation, what’s stopping you from staying one step ahead?

PS: Mark Zuckerberg, if you’re reading this, the real invite is overdue. Uncle’s ready.

Storyteller

Dr Josepheena John

Every word I write is a well-placed semicolon; I craft thoughts that make you pause, then urge you forward, wanting to know more.

My Kathai