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If someone calls in a loved one’s familiar voice and asks for urgent money, treat the voice as unverified. Pause the payment, end or defer the call, and independently call the person using a number you already know. If they do not answer, check with another trusted person before sending anything.
How a deepfake voice emergency scam works
A scammer can use a short audio clip and voice-cloning software to imitate a relative. The caller may claim there has been an accident, arrest, or other sudden crisis, then demand money immediately. The FTC’s consumer alert puts the key rule plainly: “Don’t trust the voice.” A convincing sound is not proof of identity. FTC: Scammers use AI to enhance their family emergency schemes; FBI IC3: Criminals Use Generative Artificial Intelligence to Facilitate Financial Fraud
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Warning signs to notice
- Urgency and emotional pressure: The caller says you must act immediately or that only you can help.
- Secrecy: They tell you not to contact other relatives or friends, blocking an independent check.
- Hard-to-recover payment methods: They ask for a wire transfer, cryptocurrency, gift cards, prepaid cards, or payment through an app. These methods are difficult to reverse once sent.
- Resistance to verification: The caller keeps you on the line or offers excuses when you try to reach the supposed person or someone else who could confirm the story. That pressure is a reason to stop and verify, not a reason to skip the check.
Do not make tiny audio glitches—or the absence of glitches—the deciding test. The FBI says AI-generated content can be difficult to identify and cloned voices can sound nearly identical. Verify the request through a separate trusted channel instead. CFPB: Classic warning signs of possible fraud and scams; FBI IC3: FBI Warns of Scammers Impersonating the IC3
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What to do before sending money
- Stop the payment decision. Do not send money, gift-card numbers, cryptocurrency, or account codes while the caller is pressuring you.
- End or defer the call. Hang up, or say you will call back. You can ask a question only the real person would know, but treat the answer as an extra check—not proof.
- Call the person using a known number. Use saved contact information or a number you independently know belongs to them. Do not call a number supplied by the suspicious caller.
- Check with another trusted person if needed. If you cannot reach the supposed caller, contact another family member or close friend who can help confirm the story. Do not obey a demand for secrecy while you verify.
- Use a family code word if you have arranged one. A private word or phrase agreed in advance can add a check, but use it alongside a callback rather than as a replacement for one.
The callback and the second-person check are useful because they do not depend on the suspicious call. A family code word is something to establish before an emergency, not improvise during one. FTC verification advice; FTC: Scammers Use Fake Emergencies To Steal Your Money; FBI IC3 guidance
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Prepare before a suspicious call arrives
- Agree on a private family code word or phrase, keep it private, and make sure the people who need it know how to use it.
- Where practical, limit public access to voice recordings and other personal content. The FBI recommends making social accounts private and limiting followers to people you know.
These precautions can reduce opportunities for misuse; they cannot guarantee that a scam will not happen. FBI IC3 prevention guidance
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.If you already sent money
- Contact the payment provider immediately. Tell your bank, payment app, wire-transfer company, or gift-card issuer that the transaction is fraudulent. Ask whether it can be stopped or reversed. The sooner you act, the better, but recovery is not guaranteed. For a wire transfer, the FTC specifically advises contacting the transfer company right away.
- Report the fraud. File a report with the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and with FBI IC3 at ic3.gov. Local law enforcement may also be appropriate.
FTC: Scammers Use Fake Emergencies To Steal Your Money; FTC: What To Know Before You Wire Money; FBI IC3 reporting guidance
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