Calls from a grandchild or relative in trouble

How it works

The FTC's page on fake emergencies describes the pattern: someone calls or messages pretending to be a family member or close friend who's in trouble and needs money. They may know details about you from social media or a hacked email account, or they may simply guess. Sometimes a second person comes on the line, claiming to be a lawyer, a police officer or a doctor.

The FTC lists what these scams have in common: the caller says it's urgent and that you're the only one who can help; they may tell you to keep it secret, so you don't talk to other family members and friends; and they play on your feelings, counting on you to pay before you check whether there's really an emergency. The secrecy matters most, because it stops you from making the one phone call that would end the story.

The voice can sound right

In 2023 the FTC warned that scammers can use a short audio clip and a voice-cloning program to imitate a family member's voice. A clip from content posted online can be enough. So a voice that sounds exactly like your grandchild isn't proof, and being fooled by one says nothing about your hearing or your judgment. The FTC's advice is simple: don't trust the voice; call the person.

The same thing is now happening with pictures. In December 2025 the FBI warned about fake "proof of life" photos built from pictures people had posted on social media, sent with ransom demands, sometimes using timed messages that disappear before you can look closely.

How to check, kindly

1. Say you'll call back, and hang up. The FTC suggests resisting the pressure to send money right away. A real relative in trouble will understand a five-minute delay.
2. Call your relative at the number you already have for them. If they don't answer, call their parent, spouse or a friend. On a landline, use a different phone if you can: North Carolina's Department of Justice has warned that a caller can stay on a landline after you hang up, so your next call could still reach them. If you have only the one line, it suggests waiting at least 20 minutes before you lift the receiver, and listening for a normal dial tone before you dial.
3. Call another family member even if you were asked not to. The FTC specifically recommends this. Being asked to keep it secret is itself a reason to tell someone.
4. If you'd rather not hang up, ask a question only the real person would know. The FTC's example: "What kind of dog do you have?" Pick something that isn't on social media, since that's where scammers look.
5. Agree on a family code word now. The FBI recommends a code word only you and your loved ones know. It turns a frightening call into a quick question.

How they ask to be paid

According to the FTC, these callers ask for money in ways that are hard to reverse: a wire transfer through a company such as Western Union or MoneyGram, cryptocurrency, a payment app, or putting money on a gift card "and then giving them the numbers on the back." A request to pay that way is a reason to stop. See anyone asking you to pay with gift cards.

Some ask for cash instead. The FTC has warned that the caller may say someone will come to your door to pick up cash for your grandchild. Its advice: "Don't give your address, personal information, or cash to anyone who contacts you." The FBI has described couriers sent to pick up cash or gold in tech-support and government-impersonation scams too, and in June 2026 it said "In-person cash collection via couriers is a method utilized across many scams, including grandparent, law enforcement impersonation, tech support, and other scams."

Talking about it ahead of time

Knowing the pattern ahead of time helps, so one of the most useful things you can do is mention it to the people you love, in both directions. Tell grandchildren that if they're ever really in trouble, you'll still call their parents first. Agree on the code word. If your family posts videos online, it's worth knowing that short clips are what voice cloning needs. Our fridge sheet has space to write down who to call.

If you already sent money

Act quickly. Contact the company you used to send it (the wire service, the payment app, the gift card company, or your bank, using the number on the back of your card) and ask them to stop or reverse the payment. Find the company's number in its own app, on your receipt, or on its website, typed in yourself, not in a search result or an ad: the FTC warns, "Don't assume the phone number that comes up in search is legit." If you mailed cash, contact the U.S. Postal Inspection Service right away: the FTC's guide for people who were scammed lists its number. If you have the tracking number, the Postal Service may be able to intercept the package for a fee, but only before it's out for delivery, and USPS says the service isn't guaranteed. For FedEx or UPS, the FTC says to contact the carrier as soon as possible.

If you handed cash or gold to someone who came to your door, don't agree to another pickup, whatever the caller says. The FTC says "it was a crime, so file a report with local law enforcement", and the FBI asks people to report it at ic3.gov as quickly as possible.

The FTC also asks you to report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to your state attorney general. More steps, by payment method, are on our "if you clicked or paid" page.

Related patterns

• Anyone asking you to pay with gift cardsBuy cards, scratch the back, read the numbers.
• Calls and messages claiming to be the IRS, Social Security or MedicareAn agency, a threat, and a payment only they accept.
• Someone you met online who needs moneyA warm connection, a reason they can't meet, then a money problem.