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Open the companion tool →Why the code request is the final step of every account takeover
Banks use one-time codes precisely because they cannot be guessed. Anyone who receives one — including a caller who sounds like family — has the account.
A real bank or a real relative will never need the code from you. Rehearsing the refusal is more effective than explaining it.
The protocol
- Agree the household rule: one-time codes are never read aloud to anyone, whoever asks.
- Practise the sentence to use, and the hang-up, until it is easy to say.
- Write down the one callback number the family will use for money requests.
- Add the rule to the bank's account notes and to any caregiver instructions.
- Report the call to the bank and to the FTC, even if nothing was lost.
What the tool does
Build a verification-code household rule It runs locally in this browser and sends nothing.
Limit first: This is a caregiver's planning aid, not legal, medical or financial advice. It cannot confirm a caller's identity, recover funds, or make decisions on someone's behalf.
Open the companion tool →Cost and free path
Cost: Free: one complete run in this browser, no account. Optional $4 one-time unlock allows unlimited runs of this tool on this browser. The free path and safety guidance never require payment.
Free path, in order (no cost):
- The bank's fraud line, from the number on the card or statement
- FTC — ReportFraud.ftc.gov for the call pattern
- AARP Fraud Watch Network helpline for guidance and support
What this cannot do: It cannot confirm a caller's identity, recover funds, or make decisions on someone's behalf.
Sources checked 2026-10-03 · source bank reviewed against the live pages listed in metadata.
One human next step
Call the bank using the number on the card or statement and tell its fraud team what was asked; if a code was shared, ask for an immediate block, new credentials, and a fraud case reference.
Research log and safety checks
AI-assist path: not used for a verdict. This builder organises the reader's own documents and names an independent source; it does not infer authenticity, eligibility, or legal rights. §6.9/§6.10/§6.11 disclosed in the batch report; §6.12 status line carried in metadata as `status_line`.
§0.5 protection result: category is elder-protection; crisis-adjacent: no; fear/urgency/scarcity toolkit used: no. The protective function is free and the paid feature is convenience only.