What is a grandparent scam?
A grandparent scam is a phone or messaging fraud targeting older adults, where a caller pretends to be a grandchild in urgent distress — arrested, hospitalised, or stranded abroad — and begs the target to send money secretly and quickly.
Last reviewed: 10 June 2026
Explanation
The caller typically opens with something vague like 'Grandma, it's me!' allowing the target to fill in a name themselves. The scammer then confirms that name and builds on it. A second 'official' — a fake lawyer, bail bondsman, or police officer — often takes over the call to add authority and urgency.
Victims are told to keep the situation secret from other family members, which prevents them from making a quick verification call. They are instructed to withdraw cash and hand it to a courier, purchase gift cards and read out the codes, or wire money to an overseas account.
AI voice-cloning technology has made this scam far more convincing. Criminals can clone a real grandchild's voice from a short social media clip and use it to open the call, making the emotional pull almost overwhelming.
The scam exploits love, fear, and a natural instinct to protect family. The best defence is a family codeword or a simple rule: always hang up and call the family member directly on a known number before sending any money.
Common red flags
- A caller uses vague 'it's me' language and lets you name them
- An urgent scenario — arrest, accident, hospitalisation — that requires immediate secret money
- You are told not to tell other family members 'to avoid embarrassment'
- A second caller claims to be a lawyer, bail official, or law enforcement
- Payment is requested via cash courier, gift cards, or wire transfer
- Extreme pressure to act within the hour
What to do now
- Hang up and call your grandchild or their parent directly on a number you already have
- Do not send money before verifying — a real emergency can wait 10 minutes for a verification call
- Agree on a family codeword for future emergencies
- If you already sent money, contact your bank immediately and report to local police
- Report the call to the FTC (US) or your national fraud authority
Frequently asked questions
Why do grandparent scams so often succeed?
They exploit a powerful combination: genuine love for a grandchild, sudden fear for their safety, and social engineering tactics (the secrecy instruction, fake authority figures) that short-circuit normal caution. The urgency deliberately prevents calm thinking.
Can AI voice cloning make the call sound exactly like my grandchild?
Modern voice-cloning tools can produce convincing replicas from just a few seconds of audio taken from public social media. The quality varies but can be persuasive enough on a phone call. A family codeword remains the most reliable defence.
Sources
- FTC — Family Emergency Scams — Federal Trade Commission
- FTC — How To Avoid a Government Impersonation Scam — Federal Trade Commission
- AARP — Grandparent Scams — AARP Fraud Watch Network
- FCC — 'Grandparent' Scams Get More Sophisticated — Federal Communications Commission