Scams don’t start with malware — they start with a voice. Older adults experience some of the highest total fraud losses, and financial vulnerability can show up years before a dementia diagnosis. But “just don’t answer” isn’t a solution. Connection is a lifeline — safety ≠ isolation.

This vision video introduces Answer the Phone, an interactive web simulator and design proposal for rethinking phone calls so people can clearly understand who is calling and what’s safe. The concept: make trust legible in the moment, with a Call Passport (clear identity + declared purpose), Dignity Mode (calm, respectful “pause & verify” exits), and Safe Actions that make the safest path the easiest path. A Trust Circle supports shared decision-making, and a privacy-preserving feedback loop helps providers respond faster—without recording private conversations.

Trusted Caller Commons imagines a phone ecosystem where trust is designed in, not guessed at.