You Need to Have a Word With Your Family
Here’s a true story: Several years ago, my mother was sitting in her home (probably watching one of her favorite suspense shows) when her cell phone rang. On the other end of the line was an attorney who needed my mother’s help. He was representing one of her grandchildren who was incarcerated on a drunk driving charge and was too embarrassed to tell his parents what happened. He needed $5,000 immediately to get out of jail and have legal representation. At the time my mother could narrow down the possible grandchildren based upon who was old enough to drive and which one didn’t have a lawyer for a father, and sure enough the lawyer confirmed that the first grandchild’s name she threw out was in fact the one in trouble.
My late mother adored her grandchildren and would do anything for them, including pay to get them out of a jam. So, she went back and forth through a few phone calls with the attorney to make sure she know how to write the check and where to overnight it. She was all set and on her way to the post office when her husband, my stepfather, asked her to run this situation by me (the lawyer 😊). She did, and I immediately knew the whole thing was a scam. No troubled grandchild, no real attorney, and no need for $5,000. Just a sophisticated plot to scam grandparents out of money based on trust and emotion. I even called the predator once I got involved and trust me, I had no effect on him. He just hung up, and I’m sure began working on another unsuspecting grandparent.
The story above happened several years ago, and now with AI, predators can be even more sophisticated. For example, they could review an online video of a person, say someone’s grandchild giving a presentation, and use it to mimic the exact voice of the grandchild to the unsuspecting relative. These types of AI scams are already happening, and they will just get worse.
One very effective solution to consider is a family “code word.” Everyone in your immediate family should memorize just one word and then, if grandma receives a call from someone claiming to be her grandson, she can ask for the code word. If it can’t be produced, then she should hang up. Simple but effective. An article in the Wall Street Journal last week gave some good suggestions on how to pick a code word. Here they are:
- Make it simple but strong. Don’t use your dog’s name or even your wife’s maiden name because lots of personal family information is accessible by criminals on the internet. Perhaps you could use something based on a family joke or even a phrase that family members always laugh at.
- Keep it safe. If you are worried you will forget it, write it down or store it on a password manager. If you write it down, put it in a safe place so a visitor can’t easily see it.
- Keep the circle small. The more family members who know the code word, the more chance that it gets stolen. Parents, kids and grandchildren is a good group.
- Think outside the box. The code could also be a question, like what was the name of our neighbor who lived across from us growing up.
My mother dodged a bullet, but many people don’t realize they are being scammed until it’s too late. Make sure you and your family take the time to protect yourselves.
Fun Fact: The bloodhound is known to have the best sense of smell among canines. Originally bred to hunt deer and wild boar, they are now used by police and rescue teams. Bloodhounds have been known to follow a scent for over 130 miles, providing not only a strong nose, but a tenacious character as well. The most famous bloodhound was named Nick Carter, a canine detective credited with solving over 600 cases in the early 1900s. He once followed the scent of a missing 6-year-old girl for over 5 miles through fields and streams and led authorities straight to her.
