Verify who is asking for help: a family anti-fraud protocol

Define the task and context

Pause when an unexpected request demands urgency, money, codes or secrecy. Context and individual ability may change the choice.

Verify what is documented

Authorities advise ending the contact and verifying through an already known address or number. Do not assign features absent from current product documentation.

Separate signal, meaning and outcome

A displayed name, photo, voice or number can be imitated and is not proof. A technical confirmation does not prove understanding, availability or human action.

Agree people, data and responsibility

Agree an optional family phrase without making it the only safeguard. Limit data and recipients to the purpose agreed with the person.

Use a choice matrix

A private message may suffice when verified; place your own call to the known number. The matrix presents trade-offs and does not name a universal winner.

Rehearse limits and an alternative channel

Rehearse without sending money or codes and report through the relevant local authority. For immediate danger, call local responders directly; 112 is free throughout the EU.

• Task defined?
• Function documented?
• Meaning understood?
• Consent obtained?
• Backup ready?
• Announced rehearsal done?

A practical example to rehearse

Example: an urgent message requests money in a relative’s name; leave the thread and call the number already saved. Name the responder, backup and point for changing channel in advance, confirming that both people accept the role. Collect only data needed for the purpose and review consent, contacts and instructions when the routine changes.

A voice, profile photo, displayed name or personal detail alone cannot verify identity. Rehearse on the real device at a calm time and record only observed obstacles without judging the person. The fallback should use a different channel and remain accessible when the app or smartphone fails.

Pause payment and sharing of codes, passwords, documents or bank details while verifying independently. Connectivity, battery, notifications and human availability change; no single tool guarantees delivery, reading or action. A missing reply triggers the agreed protocol, not automatic assumptions about health or intention.

Use an agreed question or second contact only as support, without posting the answer in the suspicious channel. Collect only data needed for the purpose and review consent, contacts and instructions when the routine changes. Write an observable next step with a realistic margin and one person responsible for checking it.

When it is unnecessary and what backup remains

A safety app may request confirmation from trusted people but does not automatically authenticate the original requester. The fallback should use a different channel and remain accessible when the app or smartphone fails. For concrete immediate danger, call the local emergency number directly and provide verifiable facts.

If the known channel confirms no emergency, preserve needed evidence and report through the appropriate local authority. A missing reply triggers the agreed protocol, not automatic assumptions about health or intention. Name the responder, backup and point for changing channel in advance, confirming that both people accept the role.

If the relative does not answer, contact another known person; claimed urgency does not require payment. Write an observable next step with a realistic margin and one person responsible for checking it. Rehearse on the real device at a calm time and record only observed obstacles without judging the person.

For confirmed immediate physical danger use local services; for fraud follow police, bank or consumer authority guidance. For concrete immediate danger, call the local emergency number directly and provide verifiable facts. Connectivity, battery, notifications and human availability change; no single tool guarantees delivery, reading or action.

• Observable purpose defined
• Responder and backup agreed
• Real-device rehearsal
• Only necessary data
• Independent second channel
• Local emergency route distinct

Frequently asked questions