BBB encourages using a code word to verify identity over the phone

(WTVO) — The Better Business Bureau is encouraging families to come up with a code word to verify the identity of who they are speaking with.

There has been a rapid increase in scam calls, texts and emails imitating a friend or a well-known business.

The BBB said con artists only need three seconds of your voice to create counterfeit recordings. These recordings sound just like you but are not.

The director of the Rockford Regional BBB office said it has the potential to reach millions of people and be the most effective scam of all time.

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