When someone says your family needs urgent help

Recognize the pressure

A caller may claim that a relative is hurt, detained or needs money immediately. A message may say their phone broke and they have a new number. Urgency and requests to keep the situation secret are warning signs.

Voice-cloning technology can imitate someone familiar. Listening for an unusual voice is not a reliable way to verify identity.

Call a number you already know

1. End the unexpected call or pause the text conversation.
2. Call the relative using their saved number. Do not use a replacement number supplied in the request.
3. If you cannot reach them, check with another trusted family contact.
4. If someone claims to be police, find the police service’s number independently.
5. Do not send money while the request remains unverified.

Agree on the plan ahead of time

Talk together about checking urgent requests. Make it normal to pause, call back and involve another trusted person. Keep two known contacts on our printable family checklist.

If money or information was shared

Contact the financial institution involved promptly, preserve the messages and receipts, and follow the reporting and account-protection steps. For immediate danger, call 911.