nobody's business but me

Scam calls that sound like someone I know

Your family

What is actually happening

Around three seconds of recorded speech is enough to build a usable voice clone, and social media supplies it. The common attack targets an older relative with a call in a family member's voice claiming an emergency and asking for money urgently. It works because it bypasses judgement with panic. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre recorded roughly $704 million in reported fraud losses in 2025, the highest on record, and estimates only five to ten percent of fraud is ever reported at all.

What you can do yourself

Agree a family code word today, with everyone, and never put it in writing. If a call is urgent and about money, hang up and call the person back on the number you already have. Both cost nothing and both work.

When to get help

Having the conversation with an older relative without frightening them, and reducing how much of your family's voice and detail is publicly available.

How we know

B · Reported

Checked 4 Sep 2026 · Review by Oct 2026

Voice-cloning capability well corroborated. The $704 million figure is consistently reported across Canadian financial press citing the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre's 2025 statistics, but we have not read the CAFC annual report itself.

Still open: Read the CAFC annual report before relying on the $704m figure.

Grading explained on the home page. Every correction we have made is published.