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The "grandparent scam": what it sounds like and what to do

In the grandparent scam, a caller poses as your grandchild (or their lawyer) in sudden trouble — an arrest, a crash — and needs bail or fees now, usually by gift card, wire, or a courier picking up cash. The two signatures are urgency and secrecy ("please don't tell Mom"). What to do: hang up and call the grandchild or their parents on the number you already have. No real court or lawyer takes gift cards, and no real emergency is ruined by a five-minute verification call.

Why it works

The caller supplies fear first; some use snippets from social media (names, trips) to sound real, and newer scams can imitate a voice. That's why verifying on a number you already have — not caller ID, which can be faked — is the whole defense.

Set up a family password

Agree on a code word no one posts anywhere. Any emergency caller who can't say it is a stranger, whatever they sound like.

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Common questions

The caller knew family names. Doesn't that prove it's real?

No — names come from obituaries, social media, and data breaches. Verification is calling back on a number you already have.

I already sent money. Now what?

Call your bank's fraud line immediately (wire recalls are time-sensitive), report at ic3.gov and reportfraud.ftc.gov, and if a courier is coming for cash, call your local police.

Why gift cards?

Card numbers are untraceable cash. Any 'official' who asks for payment in gift cards is a scammer — always.

Sources: FTC — Family emergency scams · Florida Attorney General fraud hotline 1-866-966-7226. This guide is general information, not legal, financial, or medical advice.