Woods, a digital security executive and a former law enforcement and intelligence officer, admits that he is “a little over the top” with safety.
But Woods also knows that criminals will say anything — even falsely claiming that they have kidnapped your loved one or using artificial intelligence to fake their voice pleading for help — to convince you to send money.
Should we all set up anti-impostor code words with friends and family? Or is that overkill for a terrifying but uncommon danger — like wearing a helmet everywhere in case you’re hit by falling debris?
I’ll share some expert tips to guide your own safety planning for potential hoaxes.
The best advice is also hard to follow: If someone calls to say your loved one is in trouble — even if the voice sounds like your loved one — be suspicious and try to verify what’s happening.
Easier said than done, right? That’s why it’s helpful to plan ahead, while also considering the risk of excessive vigilance, particularly for children.
How common are hoaxes pretending to be a loved one in distress?
They’re probably uncommon, but the available information is incomplete.
A broad category of impostor scams were the most commonly reported type of fraud in the United States last year, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
Most of those scams involve someone impersonating a business or official agency such as the Social Security Administration, the utility company or tech support to demand money or personal information.
Many scams aren’t reported so the real number of affected people isn’t clear. (You can report scams to the FTC here.)
Less common were people duped by someone tricking them into thinking a friend or family member is in trouble. It could also be a criminal claiming he’s a police officer or doctor who is trying to help your loved one.
Cheap and easy-to-use AI also is making it scarily simple for criminals to fake the voice of your grandchild in trouble or a child appearing to say whatever the crook wants.
As terrifying as that is, most scams aren’t high tech. It could be a simple text or call from a “lawyer” saying that your brother was arrested on vacation and needs bail money.
Fear is what makes a hoax potent, not the sophistication of the technology.
How to set up a family code word for real emergency calls
Woods said your family’s safety word could be a particular question, phrase or pattern that your loved one would know but a criminal wouldn’t.
Then if you’re contacted about a loved one in distress, you can ask the fraudster or your loved one for the safety code.
For example, Woods said when his daughter was five years old, she would pretend to use a magic wand to turn him into a puppy. The question “What did you do with the wand?” could be a personal detail she would know but an impostor couldn’t guess or figure out from online searches.
Woods, an executive with the digital security firm F5, said his family practices its code phrases as part of broader conversations about safety.
The nonprofit Identity Theft Resource Center said (and Woods agreed) that being skeptical is your best protection against hoaxes.
If someone says that your loved one is in danger and needs money, or it seems to be your loved one contacting you for help, take a breath.
Try to reach your loved one directly or through a family member or friend. Never send money or buy gift cards in response to a threatening phone call, said ITRC president and chief executive Eva Velasquez.
Those tips are also useful in case your loved one can’t remember the safe word in an emergency.
Remember, too, that you can’t trust caller ID. Criminals can spoof a phone number to make it look like a call is coming from your sister or the local police.
None of this advice is easy. If you believe a person you care about is in danger, your instinct is to act fast.
“The most important thing to remember is not to overreact,” Velasquez said. “Remembering the phrase ‘go to the source’ is an easy way to ensure that you remember to verify any incoming information before you take any action.”
Consider the trade-offs of prepping for uncommon risks
Some emergency management agencies also recommend code words or phrases, for the risk of potential hoax calls or if a friend needs to pick up a child from school unexpectedly.
It’s something to discuss with your family, along with considering that we all have a limited capacity for vigilance.
Woods said that for him, discussing the potential for a faked distress call helps him feel more in control.
“I don’t expect all parents to do all the things I do,” Woods said. He called his imposter scam planning a peace-of-mind measure, “the same way I have a fire extinguisher.”
