ScamDrill vs Countersign: practice scams for your family
Updated October 14, 2026 · 5 min read
Both ScamDrill and Countersign believe the best defence is practice: feel the pressure once, safely, so you recognise it later. They practise different scams. ScamDrill is aimed at phishing-style drills; Countersign is built around the phone call that sounds like someone you love. We make Countersign, so we’re not neutral. Facts about other products come from their public listings and press coverage on 14 October 2026, are linked below, and may have changed. If something here is wrong, email support@gocountersign.com and we’ll fix it.
At a glance
| What we compare | ScamDrill for Families | Countersign |
|---|---|---|
| What it practises | Phishing-style drills that arrive at unpredictable times by email and text, with a short debrief on the red flags | A phone call in a family member’s own voice with a made-up emergency scam, ending with a clear reveal and a kind debrief |
| Consent | Household members opt in | The relative agrees in advance, and so does the voice owner (with their own recorded permission); calls only at set daytime hours, never within 48 hours of agreeing |
| Real money or details? | Drills are inert and never ask for real passwords, cards or money | Practice calls never ask for real money or details, and no call audio is kept |
| Beyond practice | A household progress dashboard | Identity checks (“is it really them?”), a family safe word, a scam-text checker |
| Price | Free tier (one learner, one drill a month); paid family plans reported from about $9 a month | Free for your first family; the free plan includes one practice call. First Class $1.99 to $5.99 a month by country |
| Where | Not specified in the sources we found | Practice calls are US-only for now; the rest works anywhere |
Which scams does each prepare you for?
Email and text phishing is common and worth practising. The scam that is hardest to resist, though, is the phone call in a loved one’s voice, because it targets emotion rather than a link. That’s the one Countersign rehearses.
Where ScamDrill may suit you better
- You want to train family members against phishing emails and texts.
- You want a free plan with a monthly drill for one person.
Where Countersign may suit you better
- Your worry is a call that sounds like your child or grandchild.
- You want the practice to come with a way to check the real person during a real call.
- You’d like a family safe word everyone has practised.
Caveats
- Details of ScamDrill come from its launch post and a listing site; plans and pricing change, and sources we found differ on organisation pricing.
- Countersign’s practice calls are limited to the US for now and need the voice owner’s and the relative’s permission, so they take a little setting up.
Frequently asked questions
What is scam practice for families?
Safe, consented practice scams that let people feel the pressure of a scam once, then learn what gave it away, so they respond better to a real one.
Do Countersign practice calls ask for real money?
No. They never ask for real money or details, always end with a clear reveal that it was practice, and no call audio is kept.
Do you need your relative’s permission?
Yes. Both the person whose voice is used and the person called must agree in advance.