Shock calls: how to respond correctly and agree on a family code word

How do I respond to a suspicious call?

The most important rule first: at the slightest suspicion, hang up immediately. You don't need to justify anything, explain anything, or answer any questions. Scammers rely on panic, urgency, and false authority – hanging up removes exactly that leverage. The steps below summarize the approach recommended unanimously by cantonal police, the Swiss Crime Prevention Association (SCPA), and the NCSC.

1. Hang up immediately: at the slightest suspicion, end the call. Don't argue, don't 'just listen for a moment,' don't let yourself be intimidated. The longer the call goes on, the stronger the psychological pressure becomes.
2. Call back yourself using the number you know: contact the relative you're supposedly worried about or the organization mentioned (bank, police) using a number you know, have saved, or can look up – never using the number the caller gives or that appears on your screen (phone numbers can be spoofed).
3. Never hand over money, cards, or valuables: not even to someone who comes to pick them up, and not even if they're wearing what looks like a real uniform. Real police never call from the emergency number 117, never ask for money or valuables, and never send someone to your home to collect them.
4. Don't give out codes, passwords, or remote access: don't share your card details, PIN, one-time codes, or account access, and don't let anyone remotely access your device using support software a caller pushes you toward.
5. Don't let yourself be pressured: deliberately take a pause and bring in someone you trust. Legitimate organizations never pressure you and never ask you to keep secrets from your family.

How do I spot a shock call?

The basic pattern is almost always the same: the caller impersonates someone in authority – a fake police officer, prosecutor, or bank employee – and invents an urgent situation. Typically it's a serious or fatal accident involving a relative, a fake arrest with a bail demand, a fake investigation, or fraudulent account activity that must be 'immediately' stopped.

The psychological levers are panic, urgency, and authority. Often there's a crying or whimpering voice in the background that the victim is meant to interpret as a relative; the Zurich cantonal police (cybercrimepolice.ch) confirms that in some cases this voice is AI-generated. What's demanded at the end is cash, jewelry, or bank cards – often using a two-person scheme: a 'mastermind' keeps the victim on the phone while an accomplice acts as a 'runner' or 'intermediary' to collect the valuables at their home.

A reliable warning sign is the demand itself: no genuine authority and no legitimate bank will ask you over the phone to hand over cash or valuables, pressure you to hurry, or tell you to keep it secret from your family. That exact combination – pressure, secrecy, and money demand – is the most reliable alarm signal.

Raise awareness in your circle – especially elderly relatives

Older people are particularly at risk because they're often alone during the day and easy to reach by phone. The most effective protection is to bring up the topic proactively before a call comes in: explain the pattern calmly and concretely, and establish a firm reflex – hang up on any such call and always call back using the number you know.

The Swiss Crime Prevention Association (SCPA) recommends that if you suspect a call is fraudulent, you contact the supposedly affected relative or another trusted person directly using a known number. This call-back is the crucial verification step – it reliably exposes the fraud and works even if the voice on the phone sounds surprisingly authentic.

Bring up the topic repeatedly and without blame. Anyone who falls for a scam in an emergency situation bears no responsibility – scammers are professionals at applying pressure. An open conversation climate ensures that affected people reach out in case of doubt instead of staying silent out of shame.

Agree on a family code word to protect against AI-cloned voices

Because voices can now be imitated remarkably convincingly from just a few seconds of audio using AI, a simple pre-arranged identification tool helps: a family code word or a shared verification question whose answer only real family members know and that isn't public anywhere. Whoever demands money or urgent help over the phone must provide the code word or answer the question – otherwise you hang up and call back using the known number.

That this approach works is shown by a documented case from the business world: in 2024, scammers tried to trick a Ferrari manager with an AI voice of the company's CEO. The manager stopped the fraud with a verification question – the title of a book the real CEO had recommended a few days before. The scammers couldn't answer and hung up. The same pattern can be practiced in families.

A code word is a useful addition, not a replacement for calling back using the known number – that remains the verification step recommended by Swiss authorities. Choose a word or question that's easy to remember but hard to guess, and share it only by word of mouth in your closest circle.

If you've suffered a loss: freeze your account, preserve evidence, report it

If money or valuables have already been handed over or account details have been given out, every minute counts. Act in this order and report the case in any case – even a failed call, when reported, helps stop scammers and clarify the situation.

1. Call police 117 (112 throughout Europe): in an acute emergency or ongoing fraud attempt, contact police immediately and file a report.
2. Contact your bank and freeze your account: if you've given out cards or account details, inform your bank immediately and have cards and account frozen; use the official blocking number, not the one the caller mentioned.
3. Preserve evidence: note the date, time, phone number displayed, and how the conversation went; keep messages, receipts, and documents. This information helps police investigate.
4. Report to NCSC: report the incident to the Federal Office for Cybersecurity via report.ncsc.admin.ch – voluntarily and for trend detection; this is not an emergency channel and does not replace a criminal complaint.
5. Warn your circle: alert relatives and neighbors, as shock calls often occur in clusters in a region. This way you protect others from the same scam.

Common mistakes

1. Calling back the number shown or the caller mentions: numbers can be spoofed; always use a number you've looked up yourself and know.
2. Acting out of fear or under pressure: that's exactly what scammers count on. Legitimate organizations never pressure you and never ask you to keep secrets from your family.
3. Trusting a familiar voice blindly: voices can be imitated remarkably convincingly with AI – only a call-back to a known number, a code word, or a verification question brings certainty.
4. Handing money or valuables to a 'runner': real police don't send anyone to collect cash, jewelry, or cards – not even in uniform.
5. Staying silent out of shame: if you fall victim, speak up. It's not your fault, and reporting helps stop scammers and warn others.

Important note

This guide is for prevention and general information. It should explain, not alarm: anyone who knows the pattern and practices the reflex 'hang up and call back using a number you know' is well protected. In an acute emergency or ongoing fraud attempt, call police 117 (112 throughout Europe) first.

The figures cited are year-specific: NCSC report numbers reflect 2024 status; cantonal figures go back to 2022. Current authority reports are authoritative. A family code word is a sensible additional measure but not an official Swiss recommendation – the official authority-endorsed recommendation is to call back using a known number. Status: July 2026.

In an acute emergency or ongoing fraud attempt, always call police 117 (112 throughout Europe). Reports to NCSC are voluntary, serve trend detection, and do not replace a criminal complaint. Status: July 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Official sources

• Hazard: shock calls Situation overview, scam patterns, and AI voice clones
• Hazard: cyber attack Phone fraud is part of the broader cyber and fraud situation
• Hazard: disinformation How manipulation and AI fakes exploit trust
• Guide: secure documents Store evidence and documents safely – including for the loss case
• Guide: cash reserves Keep cash at home sensibly and safely
• SCPA: 'Just hang up' Swiss Crime Prevention Association – behavior rules for fraud calls
• cybercrimepolice.ch – shock calls Zurich cantonal police – scam pattern and reporting
• NCSC: report an incident Federal Office for Cybersecurity – voluntary reporting for trend detection
• Guide: Recognize disinformation Systematically verify manipulation and AI-generated counterfeits