Your family's code word against voice-clone calls
Scammers can now copy a loved one's voice from just a few seconds of audio, like a birthday video posted on Facebook. Then they call pretending to be your grandchild, child, or spouse in trouble, begging for money right away. A family code word stops this scam cold, and it takes two minutes to set up.
How the scam works
- The phone rings. It sounds exactly like your grandson, crying or panicked.
- He's been in an accident, arrested, or stranded, and needs money now.
- He begs you not to tell his parents. Sometimes a "lawyer" or "officer" gets on the line.
- They ask for a wire transfer, gift cards, cryptocurrency, or cash picked up by a courier.
The urgency and secrecy are the tell. Real emergencies can wait five minutes for you to check.
Set up your code word
- Pick something only your family knows. Not a pet's name or anything posted online. A silly phrase works well, like "purple pancakes."
- Share it in person or by phone, never in a group text or on social media.
- Write it down somewhere private, like with your important papers, in case it slips your mind when you're upset.
- Include everyone who might call for help: children, grandchildren, and the grandparents too.
When a call feels wrong
- Ask for the code word. A real family member will know it. A scammer won't. If the caller says they're too upset to remember it, that's your cue to hang up and call back.
- Hang up and call back on the number you already have for that person.
- Call someone else in the family to confirm where they are.
- Never pay with gift cards, wire transfers, crypto, or cash handed to a stranger.
If money has already been sent
Call your bank right away; quick action sometimes stops a transfer. Then report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the FBI at ic3.gov. Be wary of anyone who later offers to "recover" your money for a fee. That's a second scam.
