What families can do about AI voice-cloning scams this Thanksgiving
AI has been developing at an unprecedented rate, but not all advancements are positive. Some scammers are incorporating it into their fraud tactics to try to swindle you out of your money.
It might be the phone ringing late at night, and the call sounds like it’s from your child, grandparent, or spouse. They will tell you there’s been an accident of some type, but not to tell anyone else. There’s no time. They need something from you, typically money, right away to get through the incident. Hearing your loved one in distress, you agree.
Scams like these are becoming all too common. They often succeed because of the secrecy and sense of urgency involved. Artificial intelligence adds another layer by allowing a scammer to mimic your family member’s voice.
With the holidays on the horizon, the Federal Trade Commission is formally raising awareness of the issue to reduce the number of victims. Using their data, PeopleWin has put together this guide to help you understand how evolving technology is changing scams faster than most people have realized.
Why the old voice clues no longer work
Just a decade ago, catching someone stammering or speaking with an unfamiliar inflection was a dead giveaway that someone was trying to imitate them. AI doesn’t make these mistakes. In the FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report, released in April of this year, artificial intelligence earned a dedicated section for the first time in the program’s 25-year history, demonstrating how prevalent AI scams have become.
AI tools can now produce a convincing match of your loved one’s voice in seconds. It also doesn’t require much to do this. A recording of their voicemail greeting or a clip taken from social media is all a scammer needs. The result is a fake voice that perfectly matches someone’s pitch, cadence, and accent.
This isn’t new. The FTC has been warning about it since 2023. They even issued a Voice Cloning Challenge, asking participants to submit solutions to the problem and offering up a $25,000 reward. Clearly, governmental bodies are worried.
Why this matters for older Americans
There were $7.7 billion in reported losses last year to scams involving Americans over 60 alone. That’s a 59% jump year-over-year from 2024. These individuals usually get scammed for more per incident, potentially because a scammer requests funds they can access immediately. Older adults may have larger savings or be capable of making larger wire transfers in a single sitting.
That’s why your family should use this holiday season to develop a plan. By sitting down with your extended family who are visiting, you can prepare for a scam and protect against it.
The Thanksgiving action: Make a family code word
A code word might sound like something out of a movie, but the concept is simple. You and your family members agree on a secret word that only you know. If you’re in a situation that seems unusual, just request the code word from the caller. If they can provide it, they’re verified. If they can’t, they’re likely a scammer. Choosing one takes just a few minutes and can save you thousands of dollars. Choose a code word using these four steps:
1. Select a code word: You need to choose a secret word that is both short and unrelated to anyone in your family. A birthday or job description is a poor choice. Also, make sure whatever word you choose isn’t listed publicly. Your secret word should be something obscure, like a random noun or inside joke.
2. Determine who gets to know: Anyone who is listed as an emergency contact for someone else should automatically learn the word, but realistically, all familial adults should have it. If you control money on behalf of another family member, you should also have it. There’s no reason for your kids to know what it is until they get older.
3. Agree on setting up a callback: Getting a phone call from a random number is unusual, but transitioning it to a trusted contact and a number you know shouldn’t be hard. Agree with your family that any calls coming from an unusual source should be rerouted to a saved contact. Never give a callback to any random number that the person on the phone provides.
4. Determine what to do if the code isn’t given: If the code word isn’t given, make it clear that the call will be treated like a scam. Help won’t be provided. This will be all the more reason for each family member to study the word closely, so they never forget it.
Above all else, once the word is set, you need to protect it. Treat it as carefully as your social security number. That means you never text, speak, or post your code word where it could be located. AI tools are becoming increasingly adept at scraping websites for information, so if you need to write it down, ensure it’s a physical copy.
The secret tell of modern scams
While your ears may be able to be deceived by artificial intelligence, there is one red flag that can warn you before it’s too late: the caller’s requested method of payment. Many scammers request wire transfers, gift cards, or cryptocurrency. This should raise eyebrows if the family member in question has never requested something like this before.
The FTC also calls out a second common pattern to watch out for. After the first call from a “relative,” many people report getting a second call from someone posing as bank personnel or law enforcement. They pretend to have noticed the unusual transaction and urge potential victims to transfer their remaining funds to a safe location after the first transfer. This play works well if you are already suspicious about a scam occurring, which could result in an emotional decision like agreeing without thinking too critically.
In reality, this is just the same scammer trying to get a secondary payout while your adrenaline is still high, by imitating a figure of authority who appears to be on your side.
What to do after money has already changed hands
These scammers are far more sophisticated than they used to be. What you do after you fall victim to a scam matters. Here are a few simple tips that can help you take the most important next steps:
1. I just sent money. What is the first call?
You need to reach out to your bank or the payment app right away. If done quickly enough, a transaction can be reversed or flagged at the very least. Most recovery windows close within a couple of days, so it’s best to try to get a call in within an hour of the scam.
2. What if it was a bank transfer, ACH, wire, or payment app?
Wires are notoriously hard to reverse, but it’s still worth filing a report. If the funds were sent via bank transfer, ACH, or a payment app, though, contact the entity’s fraud department through their official website. Don’t use a number the scammer gave. They may be able to freeze the transaction or reverse it.
3. What if it was a gift card?
If you purchased a gift card for the scammer, report the card number and let them know that it was involved in a scam. They can very likely freeze the balance, ideally before it gets drained.
4. What if it was cryptocurrency?
Recovery odds are low once crypto has moved hands, but contact the crypto exchange or wallet provider to report the incident.
5. Who should receive a report?
When you are scammed, report the event to the FTC and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center. Also, file a separate report with the police. A police report can be used for bank disputes or insurance claims.
6. What evidence should be saved?
Take as many screenshots of the call log, text messages, confirmation numbers of transfers, and notes on what the caller said. Do this immediately so the information is still fresh in your head.
7. What should the family say to the person who was scammed?
It’s all too easy to lead with blame. Instead, focus on reassuring your loved one. Scam calls are designed to get past the caution a person would normally use, and they are an effective method for manipulating someone. Try to remember that the person thought you or someone in your family was in a sticky situation. The fastest way to help is to assist them with reporting the incident and not stay focused on how it happened in the first place.
Plan ahead this Thanksgiving
Having a good ear for someone’s voice isn’t enough to catch a scammer anymore. You need to actively plan ahead by sitting down with your loved ones and setting up a code word for unusual emergency calls.
AI tools have reached the point where they’re good enough to fool even the biggest skeptic, especially if your focus is scattered by a perceived urgent emergency. Having your family code word in place prepares you for the worst. It doesn’t cost you anything to set up, and you can have it done and handled before the Thanksgiving plates are even cleared up.
This story was produced by PeopleWin and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
