Scams to know

The grandparent scam: "Grandma, it's me, I'm in trouble"

6 min read · Updated November 11, 2026

"Grandma? It's me. I'm in trouble. I was in a car accident and they arrested me. Please don't tell Mom and Dad." The voice is crying, the line is bad, and it sounds just like your grandson. A minute later, a "lawyer" takes the phone and explains how much bail costs.

The grandparent scam, also called the family emergency scam, has been around for years. What's changed is how convincing it can sound.

How the scam works

The emergency: a call from someone posing as a grandchild, child, niece or nephew. They've been in a crash, arrested, hurt while traveling, or are stuck abroad. They're scared and want help now.
The authority figure: the call is handed to a "lawyer", "public defender", "sergeant" or "bail bondsman" who sounds calm and official, and gives you a case number.
The secret: you're told there's a "gag order", or that the grandchild is too embarrassed for anyone else to know. Secrecy keeps you from checking.
The money: thousands of dollars for bail, fines or medical bills, paid in cash, gift cards, a wire, a crypto ATM, or a package sent overnight.
The second call: if you pay, they come back. The charges got worse, the victim's family is suing, more money is needed.

The courier version

Increasingly, scammers send someone to your door. The FBI has warned that victims may be told to put cash in a box or envelope for a "courier" or driver to collect, or that a driver may even take them to the bank to withdraw it. Some couriers give a code word or show a dollar bill serial number to seem legitimate. Real courts and lawyers don't collect bail at your front door.

AI voice cloning

Scammers no longer have to rely on a bad line and your imagination. In a December 2024 public service announcement, the FBI warned that criminals can generate short audio clips of a loved one's voice to impersonate a relative in a crisis. A few seconds of someone talking in an online video can be enough to imitate them. The caller ID can be faked too, so a call can appear to come from your family member's phone. See caller ID spoofing.

Set up a family safe word. The FBI recommends creating a secret word or phrase with your family to verify identity. Pick something that isn't posted online, so not a pet's name or a street. Anyone calling in an "emergency" and asking for money has to know it. A clone can copy a voice; it can't guess the word.

Red flags

A panicked call asking for money, followed quickly by a "lawyer" or "officer".
"Please don't tell anyone" or a "gag order".
Payment in cash, gift cards, crypto, or by courier or overnight mail.
The caller dodges personal questions or says the injury makes it hard to talk.
Pressure to act before you can reach anyone else.

How to check in one step

Hang up and call your grandchild directly on the number you already have for them. If you can't reach them, call their parents or another relative, even though the caller told you not to. The FBI gives the same advice. You can also ask a question only the real person would know. A real emergency will still be real five minutes from now.

If you already sent money

Sent a package? Contact the shipping company immediately with the tracking number and ask them to stop delivery.
Courier coming back? Call your local police. Don't hand over anything else.
Bank, wire or card: call your bank or the wire service right away and ask them to stop or reverse the transfer.
Gift cards or crypto: contact the card company or the ATM operator and report the scam.
Expect more calls, including "recovery" offers. Anyone who promises to get your money back for a fee is another scammer.

The rest of the steps are in what to do if you've been scammed.

Where to report

The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov. The FBI asks victims to report as quickly as possible.
The FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
If you're 60 or older, the Justice Department's National Elder Fraud Hotline, 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311), can help you report and find next steps. It's staffed Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern.
Your local police, especially if anyone came to your home.

Older Americans are hit hardest by scams like this. In its 2025 report, the FBI's IC3 said people 60 and over reported about $7.7 billion in losses across all fraud types. There's no shame in being targeted. These callers are professionals, and reporting helps catch them.

Got a call like this? Report the number on ShadyCall and describe the story they told. Scammers call grandparent after grandparent from the same numbers, and your report could be the one someone finds in time.