What is a family safe word, and how do we set one up?
A family safe word is a word or short phrase that only your family knows. If someone calls sounding like a grandchild or a son in trouble and asks for money, your parent asks for the word. No word, no money, and they hang up and call the real person. The FBI recommends a secret word or phrase because scammers can now copy a real voice with AI.
Updated September 25, 2026
How to set one up, in ten minutes
- 1Pick something odd and easy to remember. Not a pet's name or a street name that shows up on social media. "Blue pancake" beats "Buddy."
- 2Tell everyone in person or by phone, not in a group text or a post.
- 3Practice once with your parent. "If I ever call asking for money, ask me for the word. If I can't say it, hang up and call me back."
- 4Write it somewhere private for your parent, not on the fridge.
- 5Change it if it is ever said out loud around someone outside the family.
What the safe word does not replace
- Hanging up and calling back at a number already in the phone still comes first.
- It does not help with texts, emails, or letters that pretend to be a bank or a government office. For those, the rule is: never use the number or link in the message.
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