Stop scams · United Kingdom · Updated 19 October 2026
A caller sounds like family and needs money: what should you do?
Treat the request as something to check. You do not have to decide whether a voice is real while the caller is asking you to pay.
A familiar voice is not enough
The government’s Stop! Think Fraud campaign warns that AI can imitate the voice of someone you know. Its guidance also describes how criminals use panic and false urgency to push people into acting.
Make a separate check
- Pause the payment and end the call.
- Ring your relative on a number saved before this call. If you cannot reach them, try another trusted family contact.
- Use a safe phrase agreed privately in advance. Do not give the phrase to the unexpected caller as a hint.
The official phone fraud guide recommends a private family safe phrase, hanging up if the caller cannot provide it, and checking through a number you know is genuine. Caller ID can be spoofed, so a familiar displayed number does not prove identity.
Try this family rehearsal: one person plays the caller asking for urgent help; the other says, “I will ring you on your usual number.” Swap roles. Decide together who to try next if that call is not answered.
Keep checking independently even if a caller answers a personal question correctly. Make your routine about reaching the person yourself, rather than judging a performance under pressure.
If you have already sent money
Contact the bank immediately through its app or your card’s number. You can also hang up and call 159 for a participating bank; your provider may charge for the call.
Then use the UK reporting guide. Share the family planning guide before another call arrives.
Questions people ask
Do I need to recognise an AI voice?
Use the independent check instead. Ring the person through a contact you already had and pause the money request until you have checked it.
What should we agree before the next call?
A private safe phrase and a trusted callback route. The government explains the safe-phrase check in its phone fraud guide.