A Loved One Calls for Help: Verify Before You Pay
If an urgent caller sounds like someone you love, pause and call that person through a number you already know before sending money.
By ZoraSafe · Content reviewed · Originally published
What to listen for besides the voice
The FTC warns that scammers can imitate a family member’s voice. The actionable warning signs are the request: urgency, secrecy, a demand for money or pressure to avoid calling anyone else.
Sources: FTC: Scammers use AI to enhance family emergency schemes; FTC: Scammers use fake emergencies to steal your money
Use a callback plan
- End the incoming call without supplying private details.
- Call the person on their saved number. If you cannot reach them, try another trusted contact.
- Ask for your agreed family verification phrase without telling the caller the answer.
- Do not treat a correct-sounding voice or caller ID as proof of the story.
Sources: FTC: Scammers use AI to enhance family emergency schemes; FTC: Scammers use fake emergencies to steal your money
Related guidance: Family Passphrase: Verify an Urgent Family Request
If you already sent money
Contact the payment provider promptly and keep messages and receipts. Do not pay a second caller who promises recovery for an upfront fee. Verification habits reduce uncertainty; they cannot guarantee that every impersonation will be caught.
Sources: FTC: What to do if you were scammed; FTC: Refund and recovery scams
Related guidance: What to Do After Responding to a Scam
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.