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Grandparent and Family Emergency Scams

How it works

A caller says, "Grandma, it's me," or pretends to be a lawyer or police officer, and says a family member has been arrested or hurt and needs bail or medical money right away. They may use details from social media, or an AI-cloned voice. They often ask for cash, which a "courier" picks up at your home or you mail, or for gift cards or a wire.

Red flags

• An urgent call about a family member in jail, a crash or a hospital
• Being asked to keep it secret ("don't tell Mom")
• Requests for cash pickup by a courier, mailed cash, gift cards or wires
• A voice that sounds slightly off, or excuses like a "broken nose"

Hang up and call your family member, or another relative, at a number you already know. Some families agree on a code word for emergencies. Police and courts don't send couriers to collect bail money.

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If you already paid

Act fast. The FTC's advice depends on how you paid:

• Credit or debit card: call the card company, report the fraudulent charge and ask them to reverse it.
• Bank transfer or wire: contact your bank or the wire company (such as Western Union or MoneyGram) right away and ask them to reverse the transfer.
• Payment app (Zelle, Cash App, Venmo): report it to the app and to your bank, and ask for a reversal.
• Gift card: contact the company that issued the card, tell them it was used in a scam, and keep the card and receipt.
• Cryptocurrency: crypto payments usually can't be reversed. Contact the exchange you used and report to IC3.gov.
• Cash by mail or courier: report it to the U.S. Postal Inspection Service or the delivery company and the FTC.
• You gave a password or code: change that password now, turn on two-step verification and check for changes you didn't make.
• You gave your Social Security number: visit IdentityTheft.gov and consider a free credit freeze with Equifax, Experian and TransUnion.

Watch for "recovery" scams. Anyone who contacts you offering to get your money back for a fee is likely another scammer.

How to report it

• FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If your personal information was misused, also go to IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan.
• FBI: IC3.gov (the Internet Crime Complaint Center), especially if you lost money online or in crypto.
• Your bank or card company: call the number on the back of your card or on your statement, not one from the message.
• Scam texts: forward them to 7726 (SPAM), then delete and block.

Sources: FTC consumer advice (consumer.ftc.gov) and FBI IC3 public service announcements. Last reviewed 2026-10-12.