The advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has opened up new opportunities, but also new threats. One such threat involves scams that clone the voice of a loved one to extort money or information. A fake call "from a child" asking for help is a growing problem that is worth preparing for.
As an article in "Rzeczpospolita" of 9 May 2026 describes, voice-cloning tools can work with samples lasting just three seconds, which scammers take from, among other things, social media videos and voicemail recordings. Those receiving such a call may hear a familiar voice, increasing the likelihood of believing in the authenticity of the situation. (rp.pl, 2026)
The Polish Consumer Foundation (Fundacja Konsumentów) recommends a simple way to protect against this type of fraud – a family safety password. It is a word or short phrase known only to specific people; it should be easy to remember but not obvious, should not appear on social media, and is best agreed in person rather than sent by text message. If the password is not given or the caller pushes you to act fast, the safest thing is to hang up and contact your loved one another way, e.g. on the number you already have saved. (Consumer Foundation, 2026)
Be just as careful with text messages and messenger chats in which someone claims to be your child, e.g. writes that they have a new number and urgently need money. Always check such information by calling the number you already have saved. A family password works both ways – your child can also use it when someone calls them "on behalf of a parent".
Although no app can fully protect against these types of scams, keeping calm thanks to the child's location can be helpful. In MichalKids you can check on the map where your child's phone is and when it last sent its position – if your child is at school while "they" are calling in tears from another city, that is a strong sign of a scam. It is, however, only one part of checking; the password and calling back on a known number matter most.
If money has already been transferred or details given away, contact your bank immediately and report it to the police.
Sources
- rp.pl, "A call from your 'daughter' and a ransom demand. AI is changing phone scams", 9 May 2026 (in Polish) – voice cloning from samples of about 3 seconds
- Fundacja Konsumentów, "A loved one calls asking for money? Beware of new AI scams" (in Polish) – family safety password, hang up and contact another way