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October 22, 2026

Grandparent Scam Calls With a Cloned Voice: Is It Really Your Grandchild?

"Grandma, it's me. I'm in trouble. Please don't tell Mom." The voice sounds just like your grandson. He says he has been in a car accident, or arrested, and he needs money right away. Then someone else comes on the line, a lawyer or a police officer, and tells you how to pay.

The short answer

It may not be your grandchild, even if it sounds exactly like them. The FTC warns that a scammer can copy a family member's voice using a voice-cloning program and a short audio clip, which could come from a video or post shared online.

So do not trust the voice. Hang up and call your grandchild, or their parent, on a phone number you already know. If you reach them and they are safe, you have your answer.

How the grandparent scam uses AI voice cloning

This is often called the grandparent scam. The FTC calls it a family emergency scam, because the caller may pretend to be any relative or close friend.

According to the FTC, the caller says there is an emergency and asks for money fast. The scammer may also pose as someone with authority, such as a lawyer, police officer or doctor. They often ask you to keep it a secret. They want you upset, so you act before you think.

Then comes the payment. The FTC says these scammers ask for money in ways that are hard to get back: wire transfers, cryptocurrency, payment apps, or gift cards where you read them the numbers. In some cases, the FTC has warned, the scammer says someone will come to your door to pick up cash.

What the numbers show

The FBI's 2025 Internet Crime Report says grandparent or "distress" scams that use voice cloning are evolving to copy other family members and close friends too. It says victims reported losses of over $5 million to these distress scams in 2025.

That is only part of the picture. People aged 60 and over filed 3,143 complaints that mentioned artificial intelligence (AI) in 2025, with reported losses of $352,496,231. Those figures cover complaints that mentioned AI across many kinds of scams, not only voice cloning. They do not prove AI was used in every case, and they only count people who reported.

Red flags

  • A call about an emergency that needs money right now. An accident, an arrest, a hospital bill, bail.
  • "Don't tell anyone." Being asked to keep it secret from the rest of the family.
  • A second person takes over the call, such as a lawyer or officer, and explains how to pay.
  • An unusual way to pay. Gift cards, a wire transfer, cryptocurrency, a payment app, or cash handed to a courier.
  • The caller avoids simple questions, or the voice sounds right but the details feel off.

How to check if it is really them

  1. Hang up. You can say, "I'll call you right back," and end the call. You do not need the caller's permission to hang up and check the story.
  2. Call them on a number you already have. Not a number the caller gives you.
  3. If you cannot reach them, call someone else. A parent, a sibling or a friend. Do this even if the caller asked you to keep it secret. The FTC recommends it.
  4. Ask a question only the real person would know, another check the FTC suggests. Avoid anything that could be found online.
  5. Agree on a family code word. The FBI suggests creating a secret word or phrase with your family to verify who is calling. Choose something that is never posted online.

A line to keep by the phone:

"I love you. I'm going to hang up and call you back on your own number."

One more thing you can do ahead of time: the FBI suggests limiting how much of your voice and image is online, and making social media accounts private. It is worth sharing that tip with the grandchildren too.

If you already paid

Do not be embarrassed. These calls are designed to fool loving, careful people. The FTC says the sooner you act, the better. The FTC's guide lists who to contact for each way of paying:

  • Gift card: contact the company that issued the card right away, tell them it was a scam, and ask for a refund. Keep the card and the receipt.
  • Wire or bank transfer: contact the bank, credit union or transfer company you used, such as Western Union or MoneyGram, right away. Tell them it was a scam and ask them to reverse the payment.
  • Payment app: report it to the app and ask them to reverse the payment. For Zelle, contact your bank.
  • Cryptocurrency: contact the exchange or crypto ATM company you used.
  • Cash sent by mail: call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 right away.
  • Cash handed to someone at your door: the FTC advises filing a report with your local police.

Then report it to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and to the FBI at ic3.gov. If you are 60 or over and want help, the U.S. Department of Justice runs the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-372-8311 (833-FRAUD-11), Monday to Friday, 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Eastern time.

If someone has told you to buy gold or hand over cash to "protect" your money, that is a related scam. See Told to Buy Gold Bars to Protect Your Money?

A second opinion

Some of these scams start with a text or a message instead of a call. If you get one and are not sure, you can paste it into Shieldle for a second opinion before you reply. It is one more check, not a guarantee. For a call, the best check is still the simplest: hang up and call your family on a number you know.