The three most common stories
- The “grandson” or “daughter”: an accident, arrest or hospital — money is needed today, a “lawyer” or courier will collect it
- The “police officer”: burglars are in your area, hand your cash and jewellery to an officer for safekeeping
- The “bank” or “technician”: your account is under attack, read out the code or install a program so we can “protect” it
Why the voice can sound right
A few seconds of a video from social media are enough for AI to imitate a voice. The number on the screen can also be faked. So neither the voice nor the number proves who is calling.
The one habit: hang up and call back
Say “I’ll call you back”, end the call and dial the number you already know — your grandson’s mobile, your bank’s number on your card, or 113 for the police. A real relative or institution will understand. A scammer will push you not to hang up.
What real institutions never do
- The police never collect money, gold or jewellery for safekeeping
- A bank never asks for your PIN, a one-time code or to install a program
- Nobody legitimate sends a courier to collect cash from your home
- No real emergency requires keeping it secret from the rest of the family
Agree on a family code word
Choose a word that only the family knows and that isn’t on social media. Whoever calls about an emergency must say it. It takes two minutes to agree on and protects even when the voice is perfect.