How to Protect Your Family From Scammers
A man was at home when he got a call from his wife. She said she was at the petrol station, had just filled up the car, and her credit card wouldn't work. Could he pay with his?
Normally he'd have happily helped, but there was one problem.
His wife was sitting right next to him at home!
Scammers had cloned her voice.
We don't know exactly how they did it, but it's possible they copied her voice from a social media video she'd posted. Today, AI tools can copy a voice from just a short sample and then use it to say anything.
Have a family phrase
Once your kids are old enough to have their own bank accounts or pay for things themselves, you need something in place to protect them. But even younger kids can be targeted, for example by a "parent" asking for gift cards or game currency, so it's worth talking about early.
I shared the story above with my wife and daughters (12 and 14), and together we agreed on a phrase to use if any of us ever asks another for money. If the person can't give the phrase, we don't trust the request.
Our idea was inspired by a scene in Terminator 2: Judgment Day. John calls home, and his foster mum answers, with a dog barking in the background. The Terminator tells John to cover the phone and asks him, "What's the name of your dog?" John replies, "Max." The Terminator then has John ask, "How's Wolfie doing?" and the "foster mum" replies, "Wolfie's doing just fine." Wolfie isn't the dog's name, so they know it's not really her, but a robot in disguise.
You can watch the clip here: (A movie from 1991, and now it's happening for real!)
A few tips for choosing your phrase:
Don't ask "What's the password?" Instead, pick a question or phrase that fits into normal conversation.
Avoid anything findable online, like pet names, birthdays or school names.
Make sure everyone in the family knows it, and change it if it ever gets shared.
What to do if a call seems suspicious
Agree on a phrase and use it whenever money is requested.
Hang up and call back on the number you know is genuine. Don't send money until you've checked.
Treat urgency as a red flag. Scammers want you to act before you think. "I need it now" plus money is a warning sign.
Talk to your kids about scammers
It's a shame we have to have these conversations, but it's far better than your kids falling for a scam.
For more scams and money traps your kids should know about, grab a copy of Frankie Fortune. Frankie falls for some of them (in a funny way), so your kids can learn from his mistakes and remember him when they face something similar.
Please share this post with other families to help them avoid getting scammed.
👉 Here's some other scams your kids should know about: Scams Targeting Kids
Thanks for reading!
Will
P.S. If you've read and enjoyed Grandpa's Fortune Fables or Frankie Fortune, it would be amazing if you could leave a review online.
