The Family Code Word Checklist

1. Set it up (about 10 minutes)

• Pick it together, in person or on a call you started. Not by text or email.
• Choose two random words nobody could guess or look up, like "purple tractor." Skip pet names, street names, birthdays and school mascots.
• Keep it easy to remember under stress. Silly is good.
• Tell everyone who might get a call: grandparents, teens, college kids, anyone who travels.
• Agree on the rule: no code word, no money.
• Practice once at dinner so asking feels normal.
• Change it if it's ever used or shared. Never post it or write it on the fridge.

2. If you get "the call"

1. Take a breath. The pressure is the scam. A real emergency will still be real in five minutes.
2. Ask for the code word. No word, or they dodge the question? Hang up.
3. Call back yourself on the number you already have saved, then call another family member.
4. Never send gift cards, wires, crypto or payment-app money, and never hand cash to a "courier."
5. Report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and ic3.gov. Already paid? Call your bank or the gift card company right away.