Scams going around · Phone calls

Grandparent scam call

Pretends to be your grandchild in trouble, then a fake lawyer. A caller who sounds like your grandchild says they are in jail after a car accident and need money right away. Then a fake lawyer may call. They want you to pay fast and keep it secret, before you can check with your family.

An example of what it can look like

Not a real message: the details are made up.

Caller ID: (202) 555-0143

Grandma? It's me. Please don't be mad. I had a car accident and they put me in jail. I need bail money today. My lawyer is going to call you. Please don't tell Mom and Dad. He says there's a gag order. He can send someone to your house to pick up the cash.

How to tell

• Your grandchild is said to be in jail after a car accident and needs money right away.
• A second caller, such as a lawyer, police officer or doctor, backs up the story.
• You are told to keep it secret. They may say a judge gave a "gag order," which is an order not to talk about a case.
• They want you to pay in a way that is hard to undo. That can be a wire transfer through a company like Western Union, a payment app like Venmo, gift card numbers or cryptocurrency (digital money). Some want cash mailed inside a book, or picked up at your home.
• The caller sounds just like your grandchild and knows family details. That proves nothing. A computer program can copy a voice from a short recording posted online. Family details may come from social media, a family member's hacked email, or a lucky guess.

What to do

• Don't send money yet. Hang up, or say you'll call right back.
• Call your grandchild on a number you know is right, not one the caller gives you.
• Call someone else in your family too, even if you were told to keep it secret.
• If you don't want to hang up, ask a question only the real person would know. For example: "What kind of dog do you have?" or "Where did you spend Thanksgiving last year?"
• Agree on a secret family code word, so a real caller can prove who they are.

If you already tapped, paid, called or replied

1. Bank transfer: right away, report it to your bank or credit union. Ask them to reverse the payment and refund your money.
2. Payment app or wire transfer: right away, report it to the app, or to the wire company, like Western Union or MoneyGram. Say a scammer tricked you. Ask for your money back.
3. Cryptocurrency (digital money): right away, contact the cryptocurrency company, or the company that runs the cryptocurrency ATM you used. Say it was fraud and ask for your money back.
4. Gift cards: right away, call the number on the back of the card. Say a scammer tricked you and ask for your money back. Keep the card, and the receipt if you have it.
5. Cash: if you mailed it, call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service right away at 1-877-876-2455. For a fee, they may be able to stop the package. If you used FedEx or UPS, contact that company. If someone picked it up at your home, report it to the FBI at ic3.gov.

How to check for real

Hang up and call your grandchild on a phone number you already know is right, not one the caller gives you. If you can't reach them, call someone else in your family, even if the caller said to keep it a secret.

Where to report it

• The FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov
• Your state attorney general
• The FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center at ic3.gov

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Where this comes from

Written from these official warnings, checked 2026-09-25. Lantern is not part of any organization named on this page.

• FTC: Scammers use fake emergencies to steal your money
• FBI IC3: Scammers targeting senior citizens in grandparent scams (Nov. 2023)
• FBI IC3: Criminals use generative AI to facilitate financial fraud (Dec. 2024)
• FTC: What to do if you were scammed