The phone rings and it sounds exactly like your grandson, daughter or partner. They're scared, in trouble, and need money right now. The FBI warns that criminals can now use AI to make short audio clips in a loved one's voice, pretending to be a relative in a crisis and asking for money or demanding a ransom. A family safe word is one of the simplest ways to protect yourself.
⚡ The short version
- Hang up and call them back on a number you already have for them. Don't use a number the caller gives you.
- Ask for your family's safe word. A real family member will know it.
- Never send money, gift cards or cryptocurrency because of a panicked call, however real the voice sounds.
Set up a family safe word today
The FBI's advice is to create a secret word or phrase with your family to check who you're talking to. Our tips for making it work:
Pick something no one could guess or look up
Avoid pet names, street names, birthdays or anything you've posted online. A random pair of words works well, like “purple toaster.”
Share it in person or on a call you started
Tell everyone who might get or make a call like this: grandparents, parents, older kids and caregivers. Don't post it anywhere.
Agree on the rule
If someone calls asking for money or help in a hurry and can't give the safe word, you hang up and call the person back yourself. No exceptions, even if they say they can't talk long.
If you get a call like this
- Slow down. Scammers push you to act fast and keep it secret. Pressure is a warning sign in itself.
- Hang up and call back. The FBI says to verify the caller by hanging up and calling the person or company directly. Use the number in your contacts, not the one on your caller ID. Caller ID can be faked; see Is this phone number a scam?
- Ask for the safe word. No word, no money.
- Listen closely. The FBI suggests paying attention to the tone and choice of words. Does it really sound like how they talk?
- Don't pay with money, gift cards, cryptocurrency or anything else to someone you only know from the call.
Make your voice harder to copy
The FBI suggests limiting how much of your voice and image is online. Make social media accounts private, and only accept followers you know.
If you already sent money
- Our tip: contact your bank, card company, gift card company or payment app right away and ask them to stop or reverse the payment.
- Report it to the FBI at ic3.gov. Include the phone number, how you paid, the amount and what the caller said.
- Report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
- Tell your family so they know what to expect and can watch for follow-up calls.
More on AI: Turn off or limit AI in your apps · Voice-clone scams and a family safe word · Is that photo or video AI?
Related scam guides: Scary pop-up says your computer is infected? · Someone called saying they’re from Microsoft or Apple · Is this text, email or link a scam? · Is this phone number a scam?