A Caller Sounds Like Your Boss or Doctor: Verify the Request
A convincing voice cannot authorize a payment, disclosure or account change. Verify unexpected requests through the organization’s known contact process.
By ZoraSafe · Content reviewed · Originally published
Impersonation targets the decision
A caller may borrow a familiar identity to request money, personal information or login help. AI-generated voices are one possible tactic; you do not need to prove AI was used before declining a risky request.
Sources: FTC: Scammers use AI to enhance family emergency schemes; FTC: How to recognize and avoid phishing scams
Use the right independent channel
- For work: contact the colleague through your established internal channel and follow payment or approval procedures.
- For a clinic: use the number in your patient records or official portal, not the incoming caller’s number.
- For a bank: open its app or use the number on your card.
- Never read an unexpected caller a password, recovery code or one-time sign-in code.
Sources: FTC: How to recognize and avoid phishing scams; FTC: How to recover your hacked email or social media account
If information was disclosed
Tell the relevant organization what was shared. If credentials or account access were involved, review sessions and recovery settings. If work data was involved, involve your IT or security team rather than investigating alone.
Sources: FTC: How to recover your hacked email or social media account; FTC: What to do if you were scammed
Sources and product references
Reviewed 2026-10-07. Source dates and scope matter; a linked source supports the associated guidance, not every claim about every product.