AI - Linkenheimer LLP CPAs & Advisors

The New Face of Digital Deception: How AI is Changing the Scam Game (And How to Stay Ahead)

Remember when scam emails were easy to spot? The Nigerian prince with questionable grammar? Those days are rapidly becoming quaint, nostalgic memories. Today’s digital threats are wearing sophisticated masks, powered by the same AI tools revolutionizing legitimate business. But here’s the good news: understanding these evolving threats is your first line of defense.

The AI Revolution Cuts Both Ways

While we’re leveraging AI to streamline processes and increase work life balance, bad actors are using similar tools to craft increasingly convincing schemes. The technology that helps us serve our clients better is, unfortunately, also making scammers more dangerous.

But knowledge is power, and that’s exactly what we’re sharing today.

The New Threats on Your Digital Doorstep

1. The California FTB Text Scam: A Real-Time Warning

Right now, Californians are being bombarded with fake text messages claiming to be from the Franchise Tax Board about tax refunds. An example would be: “Your tax refund has been processed, click here to provide bank details.” It’s 100% fake. The FTB never texts about refunds—period. These scams use […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2025-09-09T17:20:17+00:00September 9th, 2025|AI, scams, Tech|0 Comments

Developing a Comprehensive AI Strategy for Your Business

We’ve reached a point where artificial intelligence (AI) offers functionality and enhancements to most businesses. Yours may be able to use it to streamline operations, improve customer interactions or uncover growth opportunities.

However, getting the max benefit calls for doing much more than jumping on the bandwagon. To make this technology truly work for your company, you’ve got to develop a comprehensive AI strategy that aligns with your overall strategic plan.

Identify your needs

Many businesses waste resources, both financial and otherwise, by hastily investing in AI without thoroughly considering whether and how the tools they purchase effectively address specific needs. Before spending anything — or any more — sit down with your leadership team and ask key questions such as:

What strategic problems are we trying to solve?
Are there repetitive tasks draining employees’ time and energy?
Could we use data more effectively to guide business decisions?

The key is to narrow down specific challenges or goals to actionable ways that AI can help. For example, if your staff spends too much time manually sorting and answering relatively straightforward customer inquiries, a simple AI chatbot might ease their workload and free them up for more productive […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2025-07-24T15:35:47+00:00July 24th, 2025|AI, Tech|0 Comments

AI in Business: Current Applications and Future Opportunities

The business landscape is rapidly evolving with artificial intelligence (AI) becoming increasingly accessible and powerful. While large corporations have been early adopters, small and medium-sized businesses now have unprecedented access to AI tools that can dramatically improve efficiency and competitiveness. Here’s what business owners need to know about leveraging AI effectively in 2025 and beyond.

Current Business Applications

Document Management and Analysis

AI excels at processing and analyzing large volumes of documents – from contracts and invoices to emails and reports. Law firms are using AI to review contracts and identify potential issues in minutes rather than hours. Manufacturing companies are automating purchase order processing and inventory documentation. Wineries are streamlining compliance documentation and sales reporting.

Customer Service and Communication

AI-powered chatbots and virtual assistants now handle routine customer inquiries 24/7, freeing up staff for more complex interactions. These systems can schedule appointments, answer product questions, and even handle basic troubleshooting. More importantly, they learn from each interaction to provide increasingly accurate and helpful responses.

Financial Analysis and Forecasting

AI tools are revolutionizing financial planning by analyzing historical data to identify trends and make predictions. Businesses can now get instant […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2025-01-28T21:04:45+00:00January 28th, 2025|AI, Tech|0 Comments

A General Look at Generative AI for Businesses

If you follow the news, you’ve probably heard a lot about artificial intelligence (AI) and how it’s slowly and steadily expanding into various aspects of our lives. One widely cited example is ChatGPT, an AI “chatbot” that can engage in conversations with users and create coherently written articles, as well as other content, when prompted.

ChatGPT and other similar chatbots are what’s known as “generative” AI. The operative word there refers to software that’s able to generate new content based on input from users and existing data either inputted during development or gathered from the internet.

Along with college students and the curious, more and more businesses are joining the ranks of generative AI users. Research and advisory firm Gartner surveyed more than 1,400 company leaders in September 2023. Two in five (40%) said their organizations were piloting generative AI programs — a substantial increase from the 15% results of the same survey conducted by Gartner about six months earlier.

Imagine the possibilities

Naturally, how companies are using generative AI depends on factors such as industry, mission, operational needs and strategic objectives. But it can be informative to look at a few examples.

In consumer goods and retail, […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2024-04-03T17:16:13+00:00April 3rd, 2024|AI, Tech|0 Comments