All issues · Issue #3

The AI Till #3: UK trading standards' AI scam watchlist

Monday 19 October 2026

Four practical notes: a UK scam watchlist, websites blocking AI agents, Replit's new default, and a free check before you ship AI-written code.

1. National Trading Standards AI scam watchlist

What it is: National Trading Standards has published its first AI scam watchlist. It covers polished fake shops, romance scams that remember personal details, deepfake video and voice clones, and error-free phishing at scale. The BBC reports officers saying AI is "super-charging" existing scams, including fake UK High Street shops that never deliver. (BBC) Which? says typos are no longer a reliable warning. Advice includes never sending money or personal details to someone you have not met in person, checking a shop address is real, using the FCA Firm Checker, and not trusting a voice or video call alone. (Watchlist PDF)

Who it helps: UK business owners who buy online, hire freelancers, or get urgent payment requests by phone or video.

Price: free to read.

Link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c60rl1xvjv89o

2. Popular websites are blocking AI agents

What it is: Agents from OpenAI, Meta, Google and others promise to book, shop and browse for you. The Verge reports users of Meta's Muse, xAI's Grok, OpenAI's Dots and Instinct hitting blocks. Yelp only allows agents that pay for its data licensing programme; Delta stops agents booking tickets; JPMorgan Chase and Charles Schwab block agents from accounts for security. Meta has partnered with retailers including Walmart, Gap, Sephora and Best Buy so Muse can shop there; Shopify has opened its network to agents. (The Verge)

Who it helps: anyone relying on an AI agent for shopping, travel or banking, and shops deciding whether to allow agents.

Price: not stated.

Link: https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/1013195/ai-agents-blocked-web

3. Replit now defaults to OpenAI

What it is: Replit has made OpenAI's ChatGPT the default for Replit Agent instead of Anthropic. CEO Amjad Masad told TechCrunch Disrupt the change was based on cost, partnership and performance. Customers can still pick Claude or other supported models. (TechCrunch)

Who it helps: small teams building in Replit who want to know the default, or switch models.

Price: Core is $20 a month ($18 if billed yearly); Free Mode and a $100 Pro plan are also listed. (Replit pricing)

Link: https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/17/replit-is-no-longer-working-with-anthropic-ceo-says/

4. Sphinx: a quiz before AI-written code ships

What it is: Sphinx is a free Git hook that pauses a push and asks you what the change does when things go wrong. It works with coding agents or plain Git. Answers do not go back to the agent, and it does not open .env files or keys. You can skip with `sphinx yolo`; skips are logged. (Sphinx) It trended on Hacker News over the weekend. (Hacker News)

Who it helps: anyone shipping code written partly by an AI agent.

Price: free; MIT licensed (`npm install -g sphinx-understand` then `sphinx install`).

Link: https://sphinx-six-theta.vercel.app/

Try this today

Open the watchlist PDF. For any supplier, hire or "urgent" payment request this week, check the company yourself and call back on a number from their official site. Report fraud via Report Fraud or 0300 1232040, or Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133. (BBC)

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None today: nothing fitted honestly.

See you tomorrow,

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