What did they say had happened?

Someone contacted me claiming a family member was in trouble. They said: ______ They wanted me to ______. Please: 1. Tell me straight whether this matches a known scam pattern, and which one. 2. Explain how these calls can sound exactly like a real family member's voice. 3. Give me the exact steps to verify this right now, on my own, before doing anything. 4. Give me one question I could ask that a scammer could not answer. 5. Tell me how to set up a family code word so this never works on me again. Be direct and practical. I may be under time pressure.