How a family code word helps stop scam calls
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Published 30 September 2026 · Last checked 30 September 2026
Scammers can now copy a person’s voice from a short clip online. A call can sound exactly like your grandson in trouble. A simple family code word is one of the best ways to check it’s really them.
How it works
Agree a word or short phrase with your close family. If anyone ever calls or messages asking for money in a hurry, however real they sound, you ask for the code word. Someone who really is family will know it. A scammer won’t.
Choosing a good code word
- Pick something easy for your family to remember, but hard to guess
- Don’t use pet names, birthdays or anything on social media
- Agree it face to face, or on a call you started yourself
- Never send it by text or email
- Change it if you think someone else has heard it
If they don’t know it
Hang up. Then call your family member back on the number you already have for them, not one the caller gave you. If money has been mentioned, you can call 159 to reach your own bank’s fraud team safely.
This follows the Stop, Challenge, Protect advice from Take Five to Stop Fraud: stop and think, challenge anything that feels wrong, and protect yourself by getting help.