One Family Plan Against Scams, AI Voice Clones and Account Takeovers

• Anyone can be caught out

  Scamwatch says: “Being scammed doesn’t reflect personal weakness or gullibility.” Scammers are professional criminals, not amateurs. Scamwatch (National Anti-Scam Centre)

• The scale in the US

  The FTC says that in 2025 it received 3 million fraud reports from consumers, who reported $15.9 billion in losses. Reports, not every scam: many go unreported. FTC, March 2026

• A few seconds of voice

  Scamwatch warns: “Scammers can use a few seconds of a voice recording to create AI clones.” Scamwatch

1. Module 1. How modern scams work on everyone

   • Why clever, careful people get scammed (and why that matters for your family)What the agencies say about how scammers work, why experience doesn’t protect anyone, and why a family plan beats a lecture.
   • What the official scam numbers show in Australia, the UK and the USThe latest loss figures from the ACCC, UK Finance, the FTC and the FBI, quoted exactly, and what they do and don’t tell a family.
   • The scam script: contact, story, pressure, paymentThe four stages most scams share, the payment methods scammers prefer, and the official “stop, check, protect” habit that interrupts them.
   • Your household risk map: who, how, and what’s at stakeMap every person in your plan by how they’re contacted, what they can access and their current circumstances, so the rest of the course goes where the risk is.
   • Project: P1 Your household risk map and first three priorities
2. Module 2. The family account audit

   • Email first: why each person’s inbox is the master keyWhy email is the account to protect before any other, how a hijacked inbox reaches banking and social accounts, and how to check each family member’s.
   • Passwords, password managers and passkeys for every personWhat the cyber agencies recommend about password length, reuse, password managers and passkeys, and how to set each person up without sharing logins.
   • 2-step verification and recovery details that won’t lock anyone outWhich 2-step methods the agencies rate most highly, the one rule about codes that every family member needs, and planning for a lost or replaced phone.
   • Banking, the phone company and the family account inventoryWhy the phone company account is a hidden master key, which banking settings to check, and how to finish an account inventory that never holds passwords or PINs.
   • Project: P2 Your family account inventory
3. Module 3. Devices and the home network

   • Updates and the old devices nobody thinks aboutWhy security updates matter, how to turn on automatic updates across a household, and what to do with devices that no longer get updates.
   • Screen locks, lost-phone features and backupsHow to set screen locks, turn on find-my-device features and back up each person’s phone, so a lost or stolen device is an inconvenience, not a crisis.
   • The home Wi-Fi, the router and smart devicesRouter settings that matter, why a guest network is worth setting up, and how to secure smart TVs, cameras and speakers.
   • Kids’ devices and parental controls, used wellWhat parental controls can and can’t do, which settings lower scam risk for children and younger teens, and why controls work best alongside conversation.
   • Project: P3 Your device and network checklist
4. Module 4. Impersonation scams and the call-back rule

   • When “your bank”, “the government” or “the courier” gets in touchHow impersonation scams use trusted names, the requests that give them away, and what each family member should do instead.
   • Tech support scams and remote-access tricksHow fake pop-ups and fake technicians get control of a device, the two facts that expose them, and what to do if someone already let them in.
   • The call-back rule: hang up, find the number yourself, call backThe single habit that defeats most impersonation scams, how to make it automatic for every family member, and the official short-cut numbers that exist in some countries.
   • Hang-up scripts everyone in the family can sayShort, rehearsed lines for ending scam calls, texts and messages, adapted for older relatives, teens and anyone who finds it hard to be “rude”.
   • Project: P4 Your call-back rule and hang-up scripts
5. Module 5. AI voice clones, deepfakes and the family code word

   • Voice clones and deepfakes, explained without the hypeWhat AI voice cloning and deepfake video are, how scammers use them, and why “I’d know my own child’s voice” is no longer a safe test.
   • The family emergency (“grandparent”) scam, step by stepHow the emergency scam unfolds, the pressure tactics it uses, and the exact steps that stop it, for both the person called and the person impersonated.
   • The family code word: how to choose, share and use itWhy the FBI recommends a family verification word, how to pick one that’s hard to guess, and the rules that keep it useful.
   • Practising the code word and call-back so they work under pressureHow to run a short, kind practice drill so everyone uses the call-back rule and code word automatically, without scaring anyone.
   • Shrinking what each person shares publiclyHow public posts feed voice clones and personalised scams, and the privacy settings each person can change without giving up social media.
   • Project: P5 Your AI-voice and code-word plan · Worked example: the Nguyens choose a code word (fictional)
6. Module 6. Money scams and bank safeguards

   • Investment and crypto scams: the costliest family riskWhy investment scams cause the largest losses, the warning signs to teach every adult, and how to check an offer without giving financial advice.
   • Romance scams and how a family can help without driving someone awayHow romance scams build trust over months, the signs families notice first, and how to raise concerns without shame.
   • Shopping, marketplace and payment-redirection scamsFake shops, marketplace tricks and changed bank details on invoices, and the checks that catch them before money leaves.
   • Bank safeguards worth turning on for every adultWhat banks will and won’t ask you, the account settings that slow scams down, and the reimbursement and complaint routes that differ by country.
   • Project: P6 Your money safeguards plan
7. Module 7. Protecting older parents without taking over

   • Why the stakes rise for older parents (and why it isn’t about competence)What the figures say about losses among older people, why savings and isolation raise the stakes, and how to frame this without ageism.
   • The consent-first conversation with an older parentHow to open, listen and agree changes with an older relative so they stay in control, including what to do when they say no.
   • Shared alerts, trusted contacts and a call-back personSafeguards that add a second set of eyes without handing over control: a call-back person, bank trusted contacts, and alerts the older person chooses to share.
   • Warning signs a relative may be being scammed, and how to step inThe behavior and money changes that families notice first, how to raise them, and what to do if your relative doesn’t believe it’s a scam.
   • When it isn’t a stranger: elder abuse awareness and official help linesWhy financial harm to older people sometimes comes from someone they know, and the official lines in Australia, the UK and the US for advice and reporting.
   • Project: P7 Your older-parent plan
8. Module 8. Teens and scams: a guide for parents

   • What teens face online: the scams aimed at young peopleThe scams most often aimed at teenagers, where they happen, and why “they’re digital natives” doesn’t mean they’re safe.
   • Sextortion: what parents need to know, and official helpWhat sextortion is, the steps official agencies recommend, and how parents can respond in a way that helps their child report and recover.
   • Gaming scams and account theftHow teens lose game and social accounts, the settings that lower the risk, and what to do if an account is taken.
   • Fake jobs, money mules and marketplace scamsHow “easy money” offers turn young people into money mules, the marketplace tricks teens meet when buying and selling, and the rules that lower risk.
   • The no-blame family agreementHow to write a short agreement with your teen that sets a few rules, promises no punishment for reporting, and names who to tell and where to get help.
   • Project: P8 Your teen agreement
9. Module 9. The family incident playbook

   • The first hour: stop the money, secure the accounts, write it downThe order of actions in the first hour after a scam or hack, why speed and order matter, and how to keep a calm record as you go.
   • Recovering hacked accounts in the right orderThe NCSC’s step-by-step recovery for hacked accounts, why email comes first, and how to warn contacts.
   • Identity theft: credit bans, freezes, alerts and protective registrationWhat to do if personal details like ID documents or a tax number are stolen, and the official protections that differ in Australia, the UK and the US.
   • Reporting a scam or cybercrime in AustraliaWhere to report scams and cybercrime in Australia, what each service does, and who else to contact.
   • Reporting fraud and cybercrime in the UKWhere to report in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland, how to report scam texts and emails, and where victims can get support.
   • Reporting fraud and cybercrime in the USWhere to report fraud, identity theft and cybercrime in the US, and how the FTC, IdentityTheft.gov and IC3 fit together.
   • Recovery scams: the scam after the scamWhy people who’ve been scammed are targeted again, how recovery scams work, and the single rule that stops them.
   • Looking after the person: shame, stress and crisis linesWhy emotional support is part of recovery, what to say and avoid, and the official crisis and support lines in Australia, the UK and the US.
   • Project: P9 Your incident playbook
10. Module 10. Keep the plan working

    • The 90-day review: twenty minutes that keep the plan currentWhy plans go stale, what to check every quarter, and how to make the review quick enough that it actually happens.
    • The annual family drillHow to run a yearly practice of the code word, call-back rule and incident playbook, and how to change the code word safely.
    • Official alert services: staying current without doom-scrollingThe official scam and cyber alert services in Australia, the UK and the US, how to choose one or two, and how to share alerts in the family.
    • Handover and emergency cards: a plan that works without youHow to make sure the plan still works if the main organizer is unavailable, and how to make a wallet-sized emergency card for each person.
    • Assembling your Family Scam PlanHow to bring every template together into one plan, check it for gaps, and get ready for the capstone.
    • Project: P10 Your keep-it-working kit
11. Module 11. Capstone: your completed Family Scam Plan

    • Your household and priorities (Modules 1–2)Finalise the household risk map and the family account inventory.
    • Devices and family rules (Modules 3–5)Finish the device checklist and lock in the call-back rule, scripts and code word.
    • Money, older relatives and teens (Modules 6–8)Finish the money safeguards, the older-parent plan and the teen agreement.
    • The incident playbook (Module 9)Finalise the incident log, report pack and first-24-hours playbook for every country your family lives in.
    • Keep it working (Module 10)Hand out emergency cards, book reviews and the drill, set alerts and write the handover note.
    • Final assessment (40 questions)A 40-question assessment drawn from an 80-question bank, mostly scenarios, covering every module. Pass mark 80%; retakes allowed.
    • Project: Capstone rubric (self-assessed)

Course types, not named competitors. These are our general observations of each type, not a survey. Official agency pages are excellent, and this course links to them throughout.