As featured in the Tampa Bay Times
In Gulfport, a lesson for seniors: Don't get trapped by AI scams →By Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter Lane DeGregory · October 5, 2026
In September, I taught an AI scams workshop at the Gulfport Senior Center. It was the first AI class the center had ever held.
The Tampa Bay Times came to cover it. I'm grateful for that. But I want to tell you what the story can't fully show. What actually happens inside that room.
They walk in with fear
Most people don't come in curious. They come in afraid.
Some carry guilt. Some carry shame, because they've already been taken by a scam. Or someone they love has. They don't say it out loud at first. But I can feel it in the room.
And underneath the fear is overwhelm. AI feels like something happening to them, not something they can understand.
One hour later, they walk out with power
In one hour, that hesitation turns into something else. Personal power.
- They learn to recognize the scams. The cloned voices, the fake emails, the urgent calls.
- They learn how to report them. So they're not carrying it alone.
- They learn how to counter them. Simple habits they can use the same day.
The scammers prey on goodness
Here's what makes me angry about these scams.
When a senior gets a call that their grandchild is in trouble and needs money right now, they act out of love. The intention is always to do the right thing.
The people on the other end are criminals. They have very poor values. And they target the elderly on purpose, because of their vulnerability.
It's not just the money they steal. It's the emotional distress. The fear. The shame that keeps people quiet afterward. That injustice is real, and it's done to people who deserve so much better.
Why this is personal for me
My mother is elderly. She faces this kind of thing every day.
When you're a senior, it's hard. You may not have the technical skills to tell the good from the bad. You may live by yourself. You're not sure if you're doing the right thing. And there's no one sitting next to you to ask.
Every person in that room is someone's mother. Someone's father. Someone's grandparent. I teach every class with that in mind.
This is what I want to end. One room at a time.
Bring this workshop to your community
Senior centers, libraries, clubs, faith groups, and retirement communities across Tampa Bay. In person or virtual.
Book a Free CallOr email claudine@claudineai.com
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