Grandparent Emergency Scam

Scammers call pretending to be your grandchild in trouble — arrested, in an accident, or at the hospital — and urgently need bail money or medical fees sent via gift cards or wire transfer.

A scammer calls or texts pretending to be a grandchild in a sudden crisis — arrested, in a car accident, or hospitalized in another state or country. They beg the victim not to tell anyone else in the family "to avoid embarrassment," then hand the phone to a fake lawyer, bail bondsman, or doctor who pressures for immediate payment, almost always via gift cards, wire transfer, or a cash pickup courier — all of which are nearly impossible to trace or reverse.

• Caller insists on secrecy and tells you not to call other family members to verify.
• Payment is demanded via gift cards, wire transfer, or a courier pickup — never a normal payment method.
• The situation is manufactured to feel extremely urgent, leaving no time to think.
• The voice sounds "a little different" but is explained away as a bad connection or a swollen jaw from the accident.

• A grandmother in Ohio sent $9,000 in Target gift cards after a caller claiming to be her grandson said he needed bail money after a DUI arrest.
• A retired couple wired $12,000 to a "lawyer" after their granddaughter's voice appeared to describe a car accident abroad — the granddaughter was safe at home the entire time.

• Never send money without calling the person directly on a number you already know.
• Create a secret family code word that only your real family members would know.
• Real emergencies don't require gift cards — that is always a scam.
• Hang up and call your grandchild's known phone number to verify.