Connecting with family should feel warm and worry-free. A few simple habits keep it that way, because scammers sometimes hide inside messages too.

Know who a message is really from. A text or call that looks like family can be faked. Scammers send “Hi Grandma, this is my new number” messages, or use panicked “I’m in trouble, send money” calls. The trick is always urgency and secrecy.

Simple safety habits:

• Verify before you act. If a “relative” asks for money or gift cards, hang up and call them back on the number you already have. The FTC warns these “family emergency” pleas are a common scam.
• Set a family safe word. Agree on a simple word only your family knows. If a caller cannot say it, it is not them.
• Do not tap links from strangers. A text with a link about a “package,” a “prize,” or a “problem” is often bait. When in doubt, do not tap.
• Keep private details private. Never share passwords, bank details, or codes in a message, even to someone who says they are family.

Your privacy on video calls. You control your own camera and microphone. You can decline a call, end it any time with the red button, and choose who is in your contacts. You are always allowed to say “I’ll call you back.”

A quick example. You get a text: “Hi it’s your grandson, I got a new phone, can you send a gift card?” Instead of replying, you call your grandson’s real number. He answers, puzzled, from his same old phone. The text was a scam, and you gave it nothing.

What to do:

• Agree on a family safe word this week.
• Verify any money or “new number” request by calling the person back yourself.
• Never tap links or share passwords or codes in a message. (Our free Spot the Scam course goes deeper.)