Put this checklist next to your phone.
The free Emergency Home Phone Checklist is one large-print page. It says exactly what to do when a call, text or email asks for money, a code or control of a computer.
How a cloned-voice call works
The phone rings. The voice sounds exactly like a family member. They are crying. They say there has been an accident or an arrest, and they need money right now. Then comes the line that matters most: “Please don’t tell anyone.”
The voice is fake. AI tools can copy how a person sounds from recordings, such as videos posted online. The caller wants the money sent fast, in a way that cannot be undone, before anyone checks.
Fraud losses reported by people aged 60 and over reached about $3 billion in 2025.
What is on the checklist
- The family secret word. If they don’t know the secret word, it’s not them.
- The call-back rule. Hang up, then call the number printed on your card or saved in your phone.
- Never use links in unexpected messages. Type the website yourself instead.
- Never share codes or give remote access. Not to anyone who contacted you first.
- Urgent + secret + money = stop. Any one of them is a reason to hang up.
It is one page, large print, US Letter size. Print it at home and keep it by the phone.
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