How do I know if a call from a relative is an AI voice clone?

Do not rely on the voice. A cloned voice can sound just like your relative. Hang up and call them back on a number you already know is theirs, or ask for your family code word. A sudden emergency, a plea for secrecy, and a demand for wire, gift card or crypto payment are the clearest warning signs.

Why the voice is not enough

The Federal Trade Commission warns that scammers can clone a loved one’s voice from a short audio clip, which can come from videos posted online (FTC consumer alert, March 2023). The FBI reports that criminals use short cloned clips of a relative’s voice to stage a crisis and ask for money or demand a ransom, and notes that cloned voices can sound nearly identical to the real person (FBI, December 2024; FBI, May 2025).

Warning signs on the call

An emergency — jail, a car accident, a hospital, stranded abroad.
Hurry — you must act now, before you can think or check.
Secrecy — “please don’t tell Mom and Dad.”
Hard-to-reverse payment — wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or gift cards with the numbers read out over the phone. The FTC calls these big red flags.

What to do right now

Hang up. Call your relative on a number you already have for them.
If you cannot reach them, call another family member or one of their friends, as the FTC advises.
Ask something a stranger could not know, and that is not on social media.
Send no money until you have reached your relative yourself.

Set up a family code word today

The FBI recommends agreeing a secret word or phrase with your family so anyone can prove who they are on a call. Pick something that has never appeared online, and make sure grandparents and teenagers both know it. The FBI also suggests keeping social media accounts private and limiting how much of your voice and face is public.

If money has already gone

Call your bank or the payment company straight away and ask them to stop or recall the payment. Report the call to the FBI at ic3.gov and to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Write down the number that called, the time, and exactly what was said.

How All Around REAL helps

All Around REAL is Your AI PI. If the caller left a voicemail, or you have a recording, keep the original file and send it to us. A REAL QUICK audio review screens one recording of up to two minutes for synthetic speech and voice cloning. A CASE review adds voice to a full case, and its voice-comparison add-on compares the recording against a known recording of your relative, with your consent. Your result stays private to you; nothing is posted and no one is notified.

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