If a familiar voice calls asking for urgent money, stop before paying. Hang up and reach the person using a number you already know. If they do not answer, contact another trusted relative or friend. You do not need to prove that the voice was generated by AI before checking whether the emergency is real.
This U.S. guide uses FTC and FBI guidance checked November 6, 2026. It is a verification plan, not an audio-detection test or a finding that a particular caller committed fraud.
Pause the payment and check the person
The FTC’s voice-cloning warning explains that audio posted online can help a scammer imitate a loved one. It recommends calling the real person at a number you already know.
- End the unexpected call. Do not use a replacement callback number supplied by that caller.
- Call your relative through your existing contact record. Ask whether they contacted you and whether they need help.
- If they are unavailable, contact another trusted person who can help check the story. A missed call is not confirmation of the caller’s claim.
Watch the request, not just the voice
The FTC’s fake-emergency guide describes urgency, secrecy and a second person posing as a lawyer, officer or doctor. Scammers may already know family details, so a correct name does not settle the question.
| What the caller says | What to do next |
|---|---|
| Keep this secret | Contact a trusted relative anyway |
| A lawyer or officer must be paid now | Find the agency’s official contact independently |
| Pay using gift-card numbers or cryptocurrency | Stop the payment request and verify the situation |
| Your relative cannot answer | Try another trusted contact instead of treating silence as proof |
The FBI’s September 2026 government-impersonation warning also describes spoofed phone numbers and pressure to stay on the call. Caller ID and an official-sounding title do not replace contacting the agency yourself. Use a number from its genuine website, not a number or link dictated by the person demanding payment.
Set up a family check before a call happens
The FBI’s AI-fraud guidance recommends creating a secret family word or phrase. Agree on it through a trusted conversation before an emergency. Make sure the people expected to use it know the plan. Keep it separate from account passwords, bank codes and carrier PINs.
Treat a correct phrase as one part of the check, not a promise that every request is safe. If nobody remembers it, use the trusted-contact route rather than prompting the caller with the answer.
Write a small contact plan: the relative’s usual number, a second trusted person and how to reach the relevant organization independently. Keep the family phrase out of public social-media posts. The FBI also recommends limiting public voice or image material where possible. That is a precaution, not a guarantee against impersonation.
If you already sent money or shared access
The FTC’s recovery guide says to contact the company used to pay immediately and ask whether it can reverse the transaction. For a bank transfer, contact the bank; for a payment app, contact the app. For a gift card, contact the issuer and keep the card and receipt. Recovery is not guaranteed.
If you shared an account password and can still sign in, change it through the real service and enable two-factor authentication. Change reused passwords on other affected accounts too. If you cannot sign in, use the service’s official account-recovery route. Start from its known app or website, not a link sent by the caller.
If you also gave away a phone-account transfer PIN or received an unexpected transfer notice, contact the carrier through official support. Our phone-number transfer guide explains what those credentials are for. A family-emergency caller does not need them to establish whether your relative is safe.
Keep a record and report the request
Save the call time, displayed number, messages, requested payment method and any receipts. The displayed number records what appeared, not proof of the caller’s identity. Do not post passwords, PINs or financial details in public comments.
The FBI’s government-impersonation warning recommends retaining communications and financial records, reporting to local law enforcement and filing a complaint with IC3. You can also report suspected fraud through the FTC’s official ReportFraud site. Open those official sites yourself rather than following a reporting link supplied by the suspicious caller.