AI income claim checklist: 12 questions to ask

Before you trust an AI income claim, or pay for a course built on one, run it through the 12 questions below. They are the same questions our fact-checkers ask. You don't need special tools or an account, and the checklist is free to use with no email required.

Key takeaways

Check three things in order: the person, the income figure, and what AI actually does.
A figure without a period, a definition, and someone to confirm it is not evidence.
Income from selling courses about making money is not proof that the method works.
One missing answer is not proof of a scam. Several missing answers mean you should wait.

Part 1: The person

1. Can you identify who is making the claim?
Look for a real name or company, a website, and a public history that goes back further than the claim itself.

2. Is the account new, or does it look automated?
Brand-new accounts, sudden follower spikes, and repetitive engagement are warning signs.

3. What are they selling?
Check for courses, coaching, communities, templates, or affiliate links. Selling something is not wrong, but it gives the person a reason to present results favorably. If affiliate links are not disclosed, treat the claim with extra caution.

Part 2: The income figure

4. What exactly does the figure measure?
Revenue or profit? Gross or net? Monthly recurring, one-time, or an all-time total?

5. What period does it cover, and when?
"$X in one month" is not "$X a month." Look for dates. Old figures may no longer be true.

6. Is it a price or a total?
What one client pays, or the price of one product, says nothing about how many people buy.

7. Where does the money come from?
Is it from the AI product or service itself, or from teaching others how to do it? Income that mainly comes from courses about "making money with AI" fails our criteria.

8. Who confirms it?
From strongest to weakest:

Primary documents: payment-provider dashboards, tax records, bank records.
Independent or third-party verified data, for example a public revenue dashboard.
The person's own on-record statement, with supporting evidence.
A published report that explains its method.

Not enough on their own: screenshots without context, social media posts, sales pages, affiliate reviews, and anonymous forum posts.

9. Do the numbers fit together?
Compare figures across posts and interviews. Check whether the income fits the product's price, the timeline, and the team size.

Part 3: The AI role

10. What does the AI actually do?
You should be able to say in one sentence what the AI does in the product or workflow. "Powered by AI" is not a description.

11. Would the business work the same without AI?
If yes, the claim may be about a normal business with an AI label added.

Part 4: The offer

12. Does the pitch include any of these?

Guaranteed or "passive" income.
For job offers, the FTC warns that an offer to make a lot of money in a short time with little work is "almost certainly a scam" (FTC: Job scams). For business opportunities and coaching, see the FTC's separate warning signs, including guaranteed income, large returns, or a "proven system" (FTC: business offers and coaching).
A large upfront fee.
Claimed ties to famous brands.
Contracts that stop you from posting honest reviews.

For real cases where the FTC alleged these patterns, see AI income scams: what recent FTC actions show.

How to read your answers

Your result	What it suggests
Clear answers to almost everything, with outside confirmation	The claim is well supported. It still doesn't predict your results.
Clear person and AI role, but the income is only self-reported	Plausible but unconfirmed. Treat it as one person's report.
Missing figure definitions, no confirmation, or a vague AI role	Not verified. Wait for more evidence before acting on it.
Contradicting numbers, edited-looking screenshots, or income mainly from courses	Strong reason not to rely on the claim.

These roughly match our grades. See our methodology for the exact definitions.

Limits of this checklist

It helps you judge evidence. It cannot prove a claim is true or false.
Honest earners often keep finances private, so a real claim may still leave gaps.
It is not legal or financial advice. For a large purchase, talk to a qualified professional.

Next steps

Check whether we have already graded the claim in the graded case catalogue or all cases.
See the checklist applied in AI automation agency income claims: what they show.

Sources

"Job Scams," FTC Consumer Advice: consumer.ftc.gov/articles/job-scams

Disclaimers

Not financial advice. Proof of AI Income provides information and analysis for educational purposes only. Nothing on this site is financial, investment, tax, or legal advice. Consult a qualified professional before making financial decisions.

Results vary. Income examples are not promises or predictions. Outcomes depend on skills, effort, market conditions, and many other factors. Most people will not achieve the results described in any single example.