What should I do if a caller sounds exactly like my family member?

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First, end the call and check independently

You do not need to decide whether the voice is artificial. The FTC warns that voice-cloning tools can imitate a loved one from a short recording. Its advice is to verify with the person on a known number, or through another relative or friend.

Open the contact you saved before today and place a new call. Do not use a replacement number supplied during the incoming call. If the person does not answer, try another trusted family contact. Write down who you tried so someone helping you can see what still needs checking.

Keep your response simple: “I will call you back.” You do not owe an unknown caller an explanation of your checks. Give yourself room to find the right number and speak to someone you trust before deciding what to do next.

Use your family code word

The FBI’s AI-fraud guidance recommends a private family word or phrase. If you already agreed on one, ask the caller for it without giving it away. Then make the independent callback. A code word is an extra check; keep the callback as part of the plan.

If your family has no code word yet, do not invent one with the suspicious caller. Arrange it later with relatives you have contacted yourself. Choose something private and practice the routine together. Tell everyone how to ask for it without revealing the answer.

Do not send money, gift cards or crypto

Do not send money, buy gift cards, share gift-card codes or send cryptocurrency to satisfy the incoming caller’s emergency demand. The FTC’s fake-emergency guide describes the pressure to pay quickly and keep the supposed emergency secret. Check the story with family before taking action.

If a second voice claims to be a lawyer, officer or hospital worker, verify that claim separately. Find the organization’s contact details yourself. Ask the trusted person helping you to make that check if you feel overwhelmed. Do not use a number supplied by the same callers as proof.

Follow the same pause if the caller asks you to move a conversation into messages, click a payment link or install something. The FBI’s impersonation alert recommends independently confirming identities before acting on unexpected contact.

If someone may be in danger

If you believe there is immediate danger, call 911. For a suspected crime without an immediate emergency, contact local police through a number you find on the department’s official website. Tell them what was claimed, what you have checked and whether any money was sent.

Keep trying trusted contacts while asking for help. You do not have to prove how the voice was made before describing the call. Separate the caller’s claims from what you have personally confirmed. For example: “The caller said there was an accident; I have not reached my relative yet.”

Save details and report the attempt

Keep the call time, displayed number, any voicemail already received and the payment instructions. Make a brief timeline while it is fresh. Do not call the suspected scammer back to gather evidence. Use the reporting guide to organize what you have.

Report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and local police. The FBI’s IC3 also accepts reports of internet-enabled fraud. If you sent money, start with the bank or payment provider and follow the FTC’s recovery steps; ask whether the transaction can be stopped or reversed.

Questions people ask

Does a realistic voice prove the caller is my relative?

No. Use a known-number callback and your private family code word. The FTC’s voice-cloning advice explains why the sound of a voice is not enough.

Are all AI voice calls illegal?

No. The FCC’s February 2024 ruling places AI-generated human voices within the TCPA’s artificial or prerecorded voice restrictions. Consent rules and exemptions apply; the ruling is not a ban on every AI voice call.

What can our family do after the call?

Agree on the callback routine and code word before the next worrying call. Share this guide with relatives and use our plan for protecting parents to review free phone settings together.