SCAM SAFETY GUIDES
Recognize the request, pause the pressure, and verify independently.
These guides focus on the behavior that creates harm. A familiar name, local number, or convincing voice should not override an unusual request.
BANK IMPERSONATION
“Fraud department” calls that ask you to move money
A caller may know your name, bank, partial card details, or recent transaction information. They may claim a transfer is pending and tell you to move money to a “safe” account, share a one-time code, or install remote-access software.
End the call. Use the number printed on your card or open the bank’s official app. A real fraud alert does not require you to send money to a stranger-controlled destination.
FAMILY EMERGENCY AND AI VOICE
A familiar voice can be imitated or taken out of context.
Emergency scams often demand secrecy and immediate bail, medical, or travel money. Voice cloning can make the story more convincing, but audio-authenticity tools are not perfect either.
Call the relative through a saved number, contact another family member, and use a private family verification phrase or question. Do not rely on the incoming number or voice alone.
GOVERNMENT OR POLICE THREATS
Arrest threats paired with immediate payment are a major warning.
Impersonators may claim there is a warrant, missed jury duty, tax debt, immigration problem, or illegal package. They may use a real official’s name and spoof a government number.
Do not pay by gift card, cryptocurrency, payment app, wire, or cash courier. Find the agency’s official website independently and contact it through a published number if verification is necessary.
DELIVERY, TOLL, AND ACCOUNT TEXTS
Small urgent charges can lead to larger credential theft.
A fake delivery or toll message may request a small payment, then collect card data, passwords, or identity details. An account-warning text may use a lookalike domain that resembles the real company.
Do not use the message link. Open the official app or type the known domain yourself. If a password was entered on a suspicious page, change it from a trusted device and review active sessions.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the most reliable first step during a suspicious call?
End the interaction and verify through an official number or saved contact that the caller did not provide.
Can AI voice detection prove a recording is fake?
No. It is one risk signal and should be combined with the request, phone evidence, and independent family verification.
Where can internet-enabled fraud be reported?
Reports may be appropriate through the FTC and the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, depending on the incident.
Check the evidence before you trust the caller.
Open Aya to investigate a phone number, suspicious message, or voicemail. Every paid product has a fixed allowance—there is no free or unlimited plan.