Book 2 · Chapter 4 · Mission

Family Scam Defense Setup

Build your family’s scam defense system before you ever need it

⏱ 45–60 minutes
Echo

No app to download. This is a family drill. You set up the defenses together, practice them once, and write them down somewhere visible. That’s it. The whole thing takes under an hour — and it might save your family real money someday.

The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center reported that Americans aged 60+ lost nearly $5 billion to fraud in 2024 alone. AARP found 84% of Americans 50+ are already worried about AI voice scams. Your family is about to be ready for the call before it ever comes.

What You’ll Do

Set up three checking questions and one family code word together. Run a voice clone drill three times so the habit locks in. Write a scam response card and post it near the phone. Schedule a re-practice for three months out.

What You’ll Need

  • Your whole family at home (or most of them)
  • 45–60 minutes
  • A notebook to document what you agree on
  • A phone for the drill
1

Set Up Checking Questions

10 minutes

Gather everyone. Come up with three checking questions together. Each should be:

  • Specific (only the real family member would know the answer)
  • Memorable (you’ll remember it under stress)
  • Unguessable (not on anyone’s social media)

Good questions:

  • "What’s the name of the stuffed animal you gave me for my 7th birthday?"
  • "Where did Dad burn the pancakes that one Sunday?"
  • "What nickname did Grandpa have for our dog?"

Bad questions (too easy to look up): full name, where you live, birthday.

2

Pick a Family Code Word

5 minutes

Choose one word only your family knows. Rules:

  • Not a common word (not “dog” or “house”)
  • Not guessable from social media (not your pet’s name)
  • Something everyone can remember
  • Not embarrassing to say out loud to a bank teller

Examples: pineapple, watermelon, zigzag, driftwood, sunrise.

Everyone needs to know it. Test each other. Make sure little siblings and visiting grandparents know it too.

3

Run a Voice Clone Drill

15 minutes

Practice in a safe way. Pick one family member to play the scammer, another to be the target.

Sample script:

"Hi Mom! It’s me. I’m in trouble. I can’t talk long. I need you to send money right now, and please don’t tell Dad. I’m really scared. Can you Venmo $300 to this number?"

The target asks a checking question or requests the code word. If the scammer can’t answer, target hangs up.

Run three scenarios:

  • Kid pretending to be a grandparent in trouble
  • Parent pretending to be a kid in an emergency
  • Someone pretending to be a cousin or aunt

The point isn’t tricking anyone. It’s locking in the habit of asking before acting on urgency.

4

Write the Scam Response Card

10 minutes

Make a physical card for near the phone.

If someone calls claiming to be family in an emergency:

  1. Slow down. Urgency is a scam tactic.
  2. Ask a checking question or request the code word.
  3. Hang up if they can’t answer.
  4. Call the real family member directly on their known number.
  5. Don’t send money based on an urgent phone call, ever.

If someone says they’re from your bank, the IRS, or an official place:

  1. Hang up.
  2. Look up the official number separately.
  3. Call that number directly.
  4. Ask if the original call was real.

If you get a suspicious text or email:

  1. Don’t click links.
  2. Don’t reply.
  3. Show a parent.
  4. Report and delete.

Post the card somewhere visible. Near the phone. On the fridge.

5

Schedule a Practice Re-Run

5 minutes

Pick a date three months from now. Practice the drill again. Scam defense, like fire safety, works best when it’s rehearsed occasionally.

You’ve Succeeded When:

  • Your family agreed on 3 checking questions + 1 code word
  • Everyone knows them (including grandparents if they visit often)
  • You practiced the drill at least 3 times
  • You have a physical scam response card near the phone
  • You scheduled a re-practice
Algo
“I can predict what content makes humans emotional. That means bad actors can use AI like me to manipulate people at scale. But if you know the tricks, you become nearly impossible to fool. That’s the power of this chapter.”
Echo
“The scam call is coming for every family eventually. The families who practiced the drill beforehand catch it. The families who didn’t, don’t. You just put yours in the first group.”

If Something Goes Wrong

“My family thinks this is paranoid.”

Show them the grandma-scam story from the chapter, or Google “AI voice cloning scam 2025.” It’s not hypothetical. These calls hit real families every day. Being ready isn’t paranoia, it’s basic safety.

“We can’t agree on a code word.”

Pick the first decent suggestion everyone can remember. You can always change it later. Imperfect preparation is better than none.

“One family member refuses to participate.”

That’s okay. Protect the people who want to be protected. The more family members who know the system, the harder it is to scam any of them.

Talk About It

For Kids

  • Which family member do you worry about most getting a scam call?
  • Who outside your immediate family needs to know the code word?
  • How did the drill feel? Silly? Useful? Both?

For Parents

  • Do your kid’s grandparents have this system set up too? If not, that’s the next call.
  • What aging family members would benefit from a version of this?

Next Steps

Chapter 5: The Honest Week → Browse the AI Toolkit Get the Books
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