More and more scams are targeting grandparents using AI technology impersonating their grandchildren.
“You get a call. . . It's your grandson. He says he's in deep trouble,” reports the FTC. “How could it be a scam?” (Puig, 2023).
These scams utilize AI technology to impersonate or clone the grandchild’s voice. The scammer then calls the grandparent and plays the grandchild's voice clone over the phone. Often the grandchild’s voice impersonation claims to be in an emergency, needing money for bail or to pay for a car accident (Vellani & Common, 2025).
Sometimes, these scammers even spoof the grandchild’s phone number, so the caller ID appears legitimate ('Grandparent' Scams Get More Sophisticated, 2025). While the call may appear legitimate, it turns out to be an imposture scam.
These scammers browse for information online and utilize videos to clone the grandchild’s voice. By pulling private information online, these scammers are able to put together story lines that seem legitimate ('Grandparent' Scams Get More Sophisticated, 2025).
To prevent falling victim to a grandparent scam, be on the lookout for signs of one. For example, needing money urgently is often a telltale sign of a scam. Another sign is the time of day: These scammers often call late at night when grandparents are off-guard and more likely to act in panic (United States Postal Inspection Service, 2022).
Another indicator is the form of payment requested. These scammers often ask for money via nontraditional networks, such as cryptocurrency, gift cards, and wire transfers (Puig, 2023).
Prevent falling victim to this type of scam by updating privacy settings on social media accounts. Some sources even suggest having a family “safe word” or password in order to verify the grandchild’s identity.
Scams targeting grandparents are on the rise. Recently, the Justice Department in Vermont charged 25 people for committing $21 million in scams targeting grandparents (District of Vermont United States Attorney's Office, 2025).
Deepfake scams, or scams utilizing AI technology to generate fraudulent voice and video content, are also rising, with older Americans losing $3.4 billion to this type of scam in 2023 (National Council on Aging, 2024).
Works Cited
District of Vermont United States Attorney's Office. (2025, March 4). 25 Canadian Nationals Charged in Vermont in Connection with Nationwide Multimillion-Dollar “Grandparent Scam”. Retrieved from District of Vermont United States Attorney's Office: https://www.justice.gov/usao-vt/pr/25-canadian-nationals-charged-vermont-connection-nationwide-multimillion-dollar
'Grandparent' Scams Get More Sophisticated. (2025, March 6). Retrieved from Federal Communication Commission: https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/scam-alert/grandparent-scams-get-more-sophisticated
National Council on Aging. (2024, October 24). Understanding Deepfakes: What Older Adults Need to Know. Retrieved from National Council on Aging: https://www.ncoa.org/article/understanding-deepfakes-what-older-adults-need-to-know/
Puig, A. (2023, March 23). Scammers use AI to enhance their family emergency schemes. Retrieved from Federal Trade Commission: https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/03/scammers-use-ai-enhance-their-family-emergency-schemes
United States Postal Inspection Service. (2022, June 1). Grandparent Scams. Retrieved from United States Postal Inspection Service: https://www.uspis.gov/news/scam-article/grandparent-scams
Vellani, N., & Common, D. (2025, March 20). Her grandson's voice said he was under arrest. This senior was almost scammed with suspected AI voice cloning. Retrieved from CBC: https://www.cbc.ca/news/marketplace/marketplace-ai-voice-scam-1.7486437