AI can now copy someone’s voice from a short clip — often just a few seconds from a social media video or voicemail. Scammers use that to call parents or grandparents and pretend to be a child or relative in trouble.
The call sounds real. The urgency feels real. That is the point of the scam.
What the scam usually sounds like
A panicked voice: “Mum, I’ve been in an accident / arrested / need bail money. Don’t tell Dad. Just send money now.”
Because the voice matches, people skip the normal checks. Money moves before anyone verifies.
The fix: a family code word
Agree on a private word or short phrase that only your family knows. Not a birthday. Not a pet’s name that appears on Facebook. Something boring and unlikely to appear online — for example a childhood street name, a random object, or a made-up combination.
When anyone calls asking for money, help, or secrecy, you ask for the code word first.
- If they know it → you can keep talking (still verify the rest).
- If they don’t → hang up. Call the real person back on a number you already have.
Wolfie’s tip: Practice once at the dinner table. “If I ever call sounding scared and asking for money, what’s our code word?” Everyone should be able to answer without thinking.
How to set it up in ten minutes
- Choose the word or phrase together.
- Write it down somewhere offline if needed (not in a shared family group chat titled “code word”).
- Tell every adult and older child in the household.
- Tell elderly relatives in person or on a video call you initiated — not in a message they might forward.
- Agree: no code word, no money, no secrecy pressure.
Extra simple rules that help
- Never send money based only on a phone call or voice note.
- Hang up and call back on a known number.
- If the caller rushes you or forbids you from contacting others, treat that as a red flag.