Set a family code word before a "grandchild in trouble" call
CBC Marketplace reported that Ontario senior Marilyn Crawford nearly sent $9,000 after a caller who sounded like her grandson said he'd been arrested. Experts warn AI voice cloning makes these grandparent scams harder to spot—and recommend a private family code word you can ask for on the spot.
What they did
Crawford believed the voice was her grandson Ian and agreed to pay. A taxi sent by the scammers took her to the bank; a staff member stopped the transfer and reached her son. Retired CIA officer Peter Warmka, interviewed by CBC, advised families to agree on a code word or phrase so the next urgent call can be tested.
How it went
"I was anxious to get the money out; I'd do anything for my grandchildren," Crawford told CBC. Her son Kevin said of the scammers: "I hate these people [who] target vulnerable people."
Worth knowing
This entry is about defending against AI-assisted scams, not about chatting with a bot for advice alone. Hang up, call your relative back on a number you already have, and ask for the code word. Never send gift cards, wire transfers, crypto, or cash by courier. AI can help you draft a family safety plan—but do not paste real account numbers into a chat.
Try it yourself
Copy this into AI assistant (not named in the source) (or any AI assistant). Replace the parts in [brackets] with your own details.
Help our family write a short "urgent call" safety plan we can keep on the fridge. Include: (1) a reminder to hang up and call back on a saved number, (2) a blank line for a private code word we will choose ourselves and never post online, (3) red flags (secrecy, gift cards, wires, crypto, a taxi to the bank), and (4) who else to call if we're unsure. Do not invent a code word for us.
Source: Reported by Nelisha Vellani and David Common (CBC Marketplace), CBC News, Mar 20, 2025. Read the original →
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