Grandparent scam: what to do when you get the call
The grandparent scam is a phone call (sometimes using an AI voice clone of a real grandchild) where the caller claims to be a grandchild in jail, in the hospital, or stranded abroad. The script always pushes urgency and secrecy, and asks for gift cards, wire transfer, or cash courier. It works because it weaponizes love.
If a caller claims to be your grandchild and asks you to pay fast and keep it secret, hang up and call the grandchild directly on the number you already have. Real emergencies survive a five-minute callback. Scams do not.
Step-by-step check
- 1
Stop, breathe, and slow the call down
Scammers depend on panic. The first thirty seconds of confusion is when the money leaves. Tell the caller you need a moment, set the phone down, and breathe before answering any question.
- 2
Ask a question only the real grandchild would know
Not their birthday or address — those are on social media. Ask about a shared private memory: a pet's name, a childhood inside joke, the dish you cooked together last Christmas. A scammer will dodge, blame a bad connection, or get angry.
- 3
Hang up and call back on the number you already have
Use the grandchild's saved number, or call their parents. Do not call any number the scammer gave you. AI voice clones cannot survive a callback.
- 4
Refuse gift cards, wire transfer, crypto, and cash couriers
No real lawyer, jail, or hospital takes Apple gift cards, Bitcoin, MoneyGram, or a courier picking up cash. If those are mentioned, it is one hundred percent a scam.
- 5
Get a witness on the line
Conference in another family member, a neighbor, or your bank before doing anything. Scammers tell victims to keep it secret precisely because secrecy is what makes the scam work.
- 6
Report and warn the family
Report the call to GACS, to your bank if any money moved, and to your country's fraud line (IC3 in the US, CAFC in Canada, Action Fraud in the UK). Then tell every parent and grandparent you know — most attacks come in waves on the same neighborhood.
Red flags
- Caller says 'Grandma, it's me' and waits for you to say a grandchild's name they can use.
- Caller insists you cannot tell anyone — especially the parents.
- Caller asks for gift cards, crypto, wire transfer, or a courier to pick up cash.
- Voice sounds slightly off, has background noise, or blames a bad connection when you ask a verification question.
- Caller hands the phone to a 'lawyer', 'officer', or 'doctor' who pressures you to pay before a deadline.
What to do next
- ✓Hang up and call the grandchild or their parents on a number you already have saved.
- ✓Print the GACS Protect Your Parents Playbook and put it on the fridge or by the home phone.
- ✓Report the call to GACS, your bank, and the right national fraud line for your country.
FAQ
How do scammers clone a grandchild's voice?
A few seconds of audio from a TikTok, YouTube, Instagram reel, or voicemail greeting is enough for modern AI to clone a voice. Assume any public voice clip can be cloned — and verify through a callback, not the call itself.
What if my parent already sent money?
Call their bank immediately — wire transfers and money-app sends can sometimes be reversed in the first hour. Save every receipt, gift card number, courier slip, and screenshot. Report to GACS and to the national fraud line. Then walk through the GACS panic guide together.
How can I protect my parents before this happens?
Set a family safe word that real emergencies must include. Print the GACS Protect Your Parents Playbook. Make sure parents know that no real lawyer, jail, or hospital ever takes gift cards or crypto.
Should my parents stop answering unknown numbers?
Letting unknown numbers go to voicemail is the single most effective defense. Real emergencies leave a callback number; scammers usually do not.