AI scam protection guide for families and small businesses

It sounds like your son. He needs money tonight. What do you do?

A plain-English guide to protecting your family, and your small business, from AI-powered scams. You can set it up in one weekend.

In December 2024, the FBI warned that criminals are using AI to clone family members' voices and fake executives on video calls. The scams themselves are old: fake emergencies, fake bosses, fake invoices. What changed is how little effort they take now, so regular people get targeted too. This guide walks you through the habits that make you harder to fool. You don't need a tech background.

What you'll be able to do

• Check a caller in seconds. Set up a family safe word, share it the right way and agree on simple rules, so a cloned voice can't talk anyone into sending money.
• Lock your accounts with more than a password. Learn which second steps are strongest, turn them on for your email first, and keep backup codes somewhere safe.
• Stop reusing passwords without memorizing anything. Learn what a password manager does, how to pick one, and how to check whether your email turned up in a known data breach.
• Use an AI chatbot as a patient coach. Six copy-and-paste prompts walk you through a security checkup without you ever sharing a password or code.
• Spot the red flags and know what to do. Urgency, secrecy, odd ways to pay, new bank details. Plus one habit that beats them all: hang up, look up, call back.
• Act fast if something already happened. A step-by-step recovery plan covering your bank, your email, reports and credit freezes, with the official links.

Who it's for

Everyday people and families who want a clear plan, especially if you're looking out for parents or grandparents. If you run a small business, a separate add-on covers invoice fraud, payment approvals and team logins.

What's inside

• Start Here
• Section 1: Pick a Family Safe Word
• Section 2: Stronger Logins
• Section 3: Better Passwords
• Section 4: Use Your AI as a Coach
• Section 5: Spot the Scam
• Section 6: Small-Business Add-On
• Section 7: If It Already Happened
• Section 8: Your Weekend Checklist

Bonus resources and printables:

• Bonus 1: Family Safe-Word Card
• Bonus 2: Scam-Call Script
• Bonus 3: "I've Been Hacked" Recovery Checklist
• Bonus 4: Credit Freeze Links
• Bonus 5: Copy-Paste AI Self-Audit Prompts
• Bonus 6: 30-Minute Weekend Checklist
• Bonus 7: Small-Business Invoice-Fraud and Bookkeeper Checks
• Bonus 8: Talking to Your Parents About AI Scams
• Bonus 9: Account Inventory Worksheet
• Official Links

31 pages. Clickable links to official government and company pages. No affiliate deals.

You don't have to do it all at once. Start with the safe word and two-step login on your email, then work through the rest at your own pace.

Ernesto Josato, Josa.ai