How to protect your family from AI voice and video deepfake scams

The phone rings, and it is your daughter. She is sobbing, the line is noisy, and she says she is in trouble and needs money right away. Except it is not her. AI tools can now copy a person's voice from a short audio clip and create convincing fake video, and scammers use them to impersonate family members, bosses and public figures. The FBI and FTC have both warned the public about these deepfake scams.

The reassuring part is that the defense does not depend on technology. A family code word and a few calm habits stop most of these calls, even when the voice sounds perfect. This guide explains how the scams work, how to prepare your household, and what to do if you are targeted.

Why AI deepfake scams work so well

Older "grandparent scams" relied on a bad connection and a vague "Grandma, it's me." Victims filled in the name themselves. Voice cloning removes that weak spot. A scammer who has a few seconds of someone talking, from a video posted online, a voicemail greeting or a clip shared in a group chat, can produce speech that sounds like that person.

The technology is only half of it, though. These scams succeed because they are built to stop you thinking. They pair a familiar voice with fear, urgency and secrecy, which is exactly the combination that makes careful people act fast. Knowing that pattern is more useful than knowing how the software works.

How the scam usually works

You get a call that sounds exactly like your child, parent or grandchild. They are crying or panicked. They say they have been in an accident or arrested and need money right now. Sometimes a second voice claims to be a lawyer or police officer. You are told not to tell anyone.

The call often moves quickly from the loved one to the "official," who explains how much is needed and how to pay. The family member may be "too upset to talk" or "not allowed back on the phone," which conveniently limits how long the cloned voice has to hold up.

The same trick is used at work, where a fake video call from an "executive" asks an employee to wire money urgently. In that version the pressure comes from authority rather than family love, but the structure is identical: a trusted face or voice, a reason it cannot wait, and a request to keep it quiet.

Who gets targeted

Anyone with family can be a target, but scammers favor people who are likely to answer unknown numbers and act out of love, which often means older relatives. Parents of teenagers and young adults who travel are also common targets. People whose voices are easy to find online, such as those who post videos often, are easier to clone. That does not mean you should stop sharing; it means your family should have a plan.

Set up a family code word

Agree on a word or phrase that only your family knows and that is not posted online. If someone calls asking for money in an emergency, ask for the code word. A cloned voice will not know it.

A few tips make the code word work in practice:

• Choose something odd but memorable. Avoid pet names, street names, birthdays or anything a stranger could find on social media.
• Tell everyone who might get the call, including grandparents, older children and anyone who babysits.
• Practice once. Saying "what's our word?" feels awkward the first time. A quick rehearsal at dinner makes it automatic under stress.
• Never say it first. If a caller asks you to confirm the word, or offers a guess, hang up.
• Change it if it leaks, for example after it was used in a real emergency within earshot of others.

Habits that stop most deepfake scams

1. Hang up and call back on a number you already have for that person.
2. Slow down. Urgency and secrecy are the scammer's main tools.
3. Never pay with gift cards, crypto or wire transfers to someone you have not verified.
4. Limit public voice clips. Consider making social media accounts private, especially for older relatives.
5. Ask a personal question that is not answerable from social media.

The callback is the single most effective step. If the real person does not pick up, try someone who would know where they are, like a spouse, roommate or another relative. Real emergencies almost always survive a five minute delay. Scams usually do not.

The payment methods matter too. Gift cards, cryptocurrency and wire transfers are hard to reverse, which is exactly why scammers ask for them. Our guide on how to spot a crypto scam covers why "pay in crypto now" should end any conversation.

At work

Businesses need their own version of the code word. Any request to move money, change payment details or share sensitive files should be confirmed through a second channel, such as calling the person on a known number or messaging them in a separate app. Make it a written rule so employees feel safe questioning a senior voice. A manager who gets annoyed at being double checked is far less costly than a wire that cannot be recalled.

Signs a video may be fake

• Lips that do not quite match the words.
• Unnatural blinking or stiff facial movement.
• Blurring around the hairline, ears or glasses.
• A caller who refuses to move the camera or turn their head.

On a live video call you can also ask the person to do something simple and unexpected, like wave a hand in front of their face or hold up a nearby object. Some fakes struggle with that kind of interruption.

Detection by eye is getting harder, so verification by a callback matters more than spotting flaws. Treat visual oddities as a reason to verify, and treat a clean looking video as proving nothing on its own.

Talk about it before it happens

The most protective thing you can do costs nothing: have the conversation now. Tell older relatives that these calls exist and that you would never be upset if they hung up on "you" to check. Tell your kids the same. People who have heard about a scam in advance are much more likely to pause when it happens.

It also helps to tidy up the accounts that scammers could use for research or for follow up fraud. Our quick guide to protect your online accounts in 10 minutes is a good family project, and our explainer on whether you need a password manager can help relatives who reuse the same password everywhere.

As AI tools get better at acting on our behalf, the line between a real request and a fake one will keep getting harder to see. Our explainer on AI agents looks at that shift, and our AI coverage tracks new warnings and tools as they appear.

If you were targeted

Report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov. If you sent money, contact your bank immediately.

Move quickly on the money. Call your bank or card provider, explain that you were the victim of fraud and ask whether the payment can be stopped or reversed. If you paid with a gift card, contact the company that issued the card as well. Write down what you remember about the call, including the number, the time, the amount and what was said, while it is fresh. That record helps both your bank and your report.

Then check on the person who was impersonated. Let them know their voice may have been copied, and warn the rest of the family, because scammers sometimes try again with a different relative.

Frequently asked questions

How much audio does a scammer need to clone a voice?

Only a short clip, according to the warnings around these scams. That is why limiting public voice recordings helps, though it cannot remove the risk entirely. A code word and a callback protect you even if a clone is convincing.

Can I tell a cloned voice from the real one?

Sometimes, but do not count on it. Panic, crying and a noisy line hide flaws. Verify through a callback or a code word instead of trusting your ear.

Will my bank refund money I sent to a scammer?

It depends on the payment method and how fast you act. Contact your bank immediately and report the fraud. Wire transfers, gift cards and crypto are especially difficult to recover.

Should older relatives stop answering unknown numbers?

Letting unknown calls go to voicemail is a reasonable habit, but the more important rule is to verify any request for money before acting, no matter how familiar the voice sounds.