The phone rings. It sounds exactly like your grandson. He’s crying, he’s been in an accident, and he needs money right now. Please don’t tell Mom.

Calls like this are one of the oldest scams there are. What’s new is that criminals can now use artificial intelligence (AI) to copy a real person’s voice from a short recording, such as a video posted online. The FBI has warned about exactly this, and it recommends a simple fix: a family safe word.

Plain talk: voice cloning

Voice cloning is when a computer program learns how someone sounds from a recording, then says new things in their voice. The result can sound very convincing, especially on a phone line when you’re worried.

Why a safe word works

A cloned voice can sound right. It can even know a few family names from social media. What it can’t know is a secret that was only ever shared face to face. So instead of trying to judge the voice, you ask a question the scammer can’t answer.

It takes five minutes, costs nothing and works for every family member, not just grandparents.

How to set up your family safe word

  1. Choose the word together. Pick something easy for your family to remember but impossible to guess. An odd pair of everyday words works well: “purple teapot”, “Tuesday pancakes”, “garden piano”.
  2. Avoid anything public. No pet names, street names, birthdays, team names or anything you’ve ever posted online.
  3. Share it in person or on a call you started yourself. Never send the safe word by text, email or social media message.
  4. Agree on the rule. Everyone promises: “If I ever call asking for money or help in an emergency, you ask me for the safe word. If I can’t give it, you hang up and call me back.”
  5. Practice once. Ask a grandchild to call and test you. It makes asking feel normal, so you won’t feel awkward when it matters.
  6. Change it if it leaks. If you think someone outside the family learned the word, choose a new one.

Try this

Set up your safe word at the next family meal or video call. Our free Scam-Stopper Kit has a Family Safe Word sheet to fill in together, without writing the word itself.

What to say when a suspicious call comes in

You don’t need to be rude. Keep it calm and short:

Say this

“I want to help. What’s our family word?”

If they give the right word, carry on. If they can’t, or they get angry, or they say they’ve forgotten it:

Say this

“No problem. I’m going to hang up and call you straight back.”

Then hang up and call your loved one on the number you already have for them. Don’t use a number the caller gives you. If you can’t reach them, call another family member.

The warning signs to listen for

Scam calls almost always follow the same pattern. Watch for:

  • Pressure: “There’s no time, I need it right now.”
  • Secrecy: “Please don’t tell Mom and Dad.”
  • Strange payment: gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, a Bitcoin ATM, or someone coming to your door to collect cash or gold.

Any one of these is a reason to stop and check. All three together is almost certainly a scam.

Safety tip

Real police officers, lawyers and hospitals don’t ask you to pay bail or bills with gift cards, cryptocurrency or cash handed to a courier. If anyone does, it’s a scam.

Why this matters

In 2025, people aged 60 and over reported losing more than $7.7 billion to online crime in the US alone, according to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. Many more losses are never reported, often because people feel embarrassed. Nobody is too smart to be fooled by a voice they love. A safe word takes the guesswork away.

If you’ve already sent money

Don’t wait and don’t feel ashamed. Call your bank straight away using the number on your card or statement, then report it. Here’s where to report a scam in the US, UK, Australia and Canada.