Protect your parent from voice-clone scam calls
Agree on a family safe word your parent asks for whenever a caller says they’re family and needs money, and have them hang up and call back on a number they already know. The FBI recommends the safe word; the FTC recommends the call-back.
This matters now: one in four Americans say they got a deepfake voice call in the past year (Hiya, March 2026). Vicem is an AI that answers the calls your parent misses, says it’s an AI and turns scam callers away.
Updated Checked on October 12, 2026
How common are voice-clone scam calls?
- One in four Americans say they got a deepfake voice call in the past 12 months; another 24% aren’t sure they could tell.Hiya, State of the Call 2026 (March 2, 2026)
- People 55 and over lose an average of $1,298 to phone scams, three times what younger adults lose.Hiya, State of the Call 2026 (March 2, 2026)
- Americans get an average of 9.9 unwanted calls a week.Hiya, State of the Call 2026 (March 2, 2026)
- The FTC: a scammer needs only “a short audio clip of your family member’s voice” and a voice-cloning program.FTC, Scammers use AI to enhance their family emergency schemes (March 20, 2023)
How does a family safe word work?
- Pick a word or phrase together, in person, that nobody could guess from social media.FBI, Criminals Use Generative Artificial Intelligence to Facilitate Financial Fraud (December 3, 2024)
- Any call that asks for money or help in a hurry: ask for the word.
- No word, or the wrong one: hang up and call back on a number you know is theirs.FTC, Scammers use AI to enhance their family emergency schemes (March 20, 2023)
- Can’t reach them? Check with another family member or a friend first.FTC, Scammers use AI to enhance their family emergency schemes (March 20, 2023)
- Never pay by wire, cryptocurrency or gift cards because a caller asks.FTC, Scammers use AI to enhance their family emergency schemes (March 20, 2023)
- Keep family voices off public posts, and keep social accounts private.FBI, Criminals Use Generative Artificial Intelligence to Facilitate Financial Fraud (December 3, 2024)
What should go on the fridge?
A one-page card in large type, from FTC and FCC advice. Free to print, no sign-up.
Got a text or email that feels wrong?
Paste it into the free scam checker with your parent: a verdict, the signs and what to do, in the message’s own language.
How do I set Vicem up for my parent?
- Start it with them: you set it up, and it stays theirs.
- Callers hear your parent’s first name, and that it’s an AI.
- Forward the calls they miss to Vicem, or get them a Vicem number.
- On an iPhone, set Screen Unknown Callers to Silence and turn off Live Voicemail.
- Take the test call: decline it, and Vicem answers.
- Add yourself as a helper: scam alerts reach you too, and what callers said stays theirs.
What does Vicem do when a scammer calls?
- It says it’s an AI, gives nothing away and turns the caller away.
- Strangers never hear your voice: Vicem answers in its own.
- It answers only the calls your parent misses or declines, so the safe word still matters.
What do people ask?
What is a family safe word?
A secret word or phrase your family agrees on, so anyone can check a caller who claims to be family. The FBI recommends one.
Can scammers really copy a voice?
Yes. The FTC says a short audio clip, for example from a video posted online, and a voice-cloning program are enough.
What should my parent do if a call sounds like me?
Ask for the safe word. Without it, hang up and call you back on the number they already have for you.
Will Vicem stop every scam call?
No. It answers the calls your parent misses or declines. Calls they pick up are theirs, so the safe word still matters.