Ask AI to explain a confusing letter
The short answer: AI is good at turning stiff, formal wording into plain language and at listing questions to ask. It cannot tell you whether a letter is real, and it can be wrong about amounts, dates, and deadlines. So check who sent the letter first, keep personal numbers out of the chat, use AI to understand the words, and confirm anything important with the sender.
Try it, step by step
- Pause and check the basics. Who sent it? What does it ask you to do? Is there a deadline? Scam letters often rush you or threaten you. For example, the IRS says a letter or notice is usually its first contact with you, and that it never contacts people by social media or text message.
- Do not use the phone number or link on a letter you doubt. Look up the organization’s contact details yourself, from its official website or from a card or statement you already trust. For an IRS letter, the IRS suggests checking your IRS online account for a copy or looking up the notice on IRS.gov.
- Take out the personal details. Type only the confusing paragraph, or cover personal details before you use a photo. See the list below.
- Ask the AI to explain it. Use the example below.
- Check the important parts yourself. Compare any amounts, dates, and deadlines against the original letter, not just the AI’s summary.
- Confirm with the sender. Contact them through the official details you looked up, and ask the questions the AI suggested.
- Keep the letter and your notes together, including the date and who you spoke with.
“Please explain this part of a letter in plain, simple words, as if I am new to the topic. Then tell me: 1) what it is asking me to do, 2) any deadline it mentions, and 3) three questions I could ask the sender to be sure. Here is the text: [paste only the confusing paragraph]”
What never to put in the chat
- Social Security, Medicare, bank, credit card, and account numbers
- Passwords, PINs, and security codes
- Your date of birth and full home address, unless the letter cannot be understood without it
A photo of a letter includes everything on the page. If you can, retype the confusing part instead. You can also turn off the setting that lets ChatGPT use your chats to improve its models, as shown in our ChatGPT guide.
Warning signs of a fake letter
- Pressure to act right now, or threats if you do not
- A demand to pay by gift card, wire transfer, or cryptocurrency
- A request for personal numbers that the real organization would already have
If a letter looks suspicious, do not respond to it. Our guide to AI voice scams has more on how scammers pressure people.
Quick questions
Can AI tell if a letter is a scam? It can point out warning signs, but it cannot check who actually sent the letter. Only the real sender can confirm that.
What if the letter is in another language? AI can translate it and explain it, but confirm the key points with the sender, since a small translation error can matter.