Course › Module 3: Staying safe › Lesson 9 of 24
Setting a family code word
A code word only your family knows is a simple, strong defense against voice-clone scams.
Key points
- Pick a word that is not on social media.
- Agree on it in person, and share it with kids and grandparents.
- No code word? Hang up and call back. Change it if it leaks.
What the video says
Scammers can copy a voice with AI, so a family code word is a simple way to know a call is really from someone you love.
Pick a word or phrase that only your family knows, and that has never been posted on social media.
Agree on it in person, not by text or email, so no stranger can ever see it.
If someone calls in trouble and can't give the word, hang up and call them back on the number you know.
Share it with everyone who might get that kind of call, from grandparents to the kids, and practice it once together.
And if the word ever leaks, or you're not sure who knows it, just pick a new one.
Next module: AI for everyday jobs.
Try it yourself
Give me 10 fun, hard-to-guess family code word ideas.
Write a short, kind text explaining to my parents why we need a family code word.
Check yourself
- Where should you agree on the code word?
- A caller says they are your daughter but cannot give the code word. What now?
- Which makes a good code word?