The top cyber threats facing the manufacturing industry are ransomware, supply chain attacks, insider threats, phishing and social engineering attacks. In 2023, the manufacturing sector accounted
Grandparent scams happen when a cybercriminal impersonates a victim’s family member, such as a grandchild, to convince them that there is an emergency. Despite the name of this scam, the victim doesn’t always have to be a grandparent or grandchild. The primary goal of these scams is to extort money from a victim by pretending that their loved one is in danger. According to the FBI’s 2023 Elder Fraud Report, the total amount of money lost in financial crimes against senior citizens in 2023 was roughly $3.4 billion.
You can spot a grandparent scam by being cautious and asking the caller questions. For example, if the caller only seems to know your name but nothing else about you or your family, it should be clear that they are impersonating a loved one. If the caller uses threatening or urgent language and asks for private information or money, there is a very high chance that the caller is a scammer.
Continue reading to learn why grandparent scams can be so convincing, what grandparent scams look like and how to avoid falling for grandparent scams.
How grandparent scams work
The reason victims fall for grandparent scams is because the cybercriminal pretends to be someone who the victim trusts. Typically, grandparent scams target elderly victims since cybercriminals believe they can be convincing enough to get the victim to send money.

In recent years, grandparent scams have become more technologically advanced because AI is being used by cybercriminals. Because hearing someone’s voice can be so powerful, cybercriminals are using AI to clone the voice of a victim’s loved one, making it seem to the elderly victim like they are speaking to their grandchild or other family member. Since many of these elderly victims may not understand how this modern technology works, they would assume that the caller who sounds like their loved one must in fact be them.
Examples of grandparent scams
Here are some scenarios that might happen during a grandparent scam.
Accident
Grandpa, something awful happened. I was driving with my friends and we got into a bad car accident. They said it’ll cost $5,000 to fix my car. Please don’t tell Mom and Dad. Can you send the money to me so I can take care of it?
Arrest
Hi Grandma. I got into some trouble last night, and I’m actually calling you from jail right now. I’m not injured, but I really don’t want my parents to know about what happened. Can you please send the bail money to my lawyer as soon as we hang up?
Plane ticket
I’m sorry to ask, Grandpa, but my flight to London just got canceled and I don’t have any money to get another ticket. Could you send the money to me right away so I can buy one for the next flight out? I’m so embarrassed and I really don’t want to worry Mom and Dad, so please don’t tell them.
Signs of a grandparent scam
If you’ve read through the examples of grandparent scams above, you probably notice some patterns. Here are the most common signs that would point to a conversation really being a grandparent scam:
- You are urged to act quickly
- You are being asked for money
- The caller knows your loved ones’ names but nothing else about them
- The caller tells you not to let anyone else know they contacted you
Tips to avoid grandparent scams
After learning what to look for in a grandparent scam, you should be more aware of the potential financial consequences of falling for these scams. Here are some tips for family members and for grandparents to avoid falling victim to these scams.
For family members
As a family, you should discuss ways to protect each other from grandparent scams, especially if you have elderly relatives.

Have a family code
One of the best things you can do is create a safe word or family code. That way, when someone calls you pretending to be someone within your family, you can ask them what the safe word is. If the caller guesses the word wrong, you know that they are a scammer. Choose a unique word or phrase that holds enough meaning that everyone in your family will remember it, but don’t make it something obvious that the scammer could research like your street name or pet’s name.
Educate your elderly relatives about the scam
While some grandparents or elderly relatives may be frightened by the idea of being scammed in this way, your elderly relatives should learn the details about grandparent scams. By educating them on the common signs of grandparent scams, you are protecting your family and financial security.
Don’t give out personal information
As a family, you should discuss what to do if you get random calls or unsolicited messages asking for sensitive information. Make sure not to give out your personal information to anyone because scammers will do their research to learn about their victims. Often, scammers will utilize social engineering tactics to psychologically manipulate you into revealing sensitive information about you and your family. For grandparent scams, scammers will seek out details about grandchildren or younger relatives to make the call to their elderly target more convincing.
Limit what you share on social media
Although it can be fun to share your life on social media, there is serious harm that could be done to your privacy when you overshare on social media. For example, if cybercriminals are targeting a grandparent in your family, they will do their research and look at the public Instagram profiles of those they will impersonate to learn more about their targets. Don’t share intimate details about yourself and your family members, especially if your social media profiles are public.
Keep a clean digital footprint
Take some time to clean up your digital footprint and discuss what this means for your elderly family members. A digital footprint is information about you that exists on the internet based on what you do online. You can start by searching the names of everyone in your household, but clean your digital footprint easily by deleting any unused accounts. This is an easy way to reduce the amount of information cybercriminals can gather when targeting the senior citizens in your family.
For grandparents
If you are reading this as a grandparent or elderly member of your family, here are some things you should do in case you are a target of a grandparent scam.

Don’t panic
This may be the hardest thing to do, but it is best not to panic in these situations because you risk acting impulsively. If you receive a random call from someone claiming to be your grandchild or younger relative, take a deep breath and ask questions that only the caller would know the answers to, in order to determine if it’s actually a member of your family.
Resist the urge to send money
Even if the caller has disguised their voice to make them sound like your family members, refrain from sending the money they ask for. Because the main goal of grandparent scams is to trick elderly victims into sending money, the caller will be most focused on receiving your money instead of being concerned about their situation.
Verify the caller’s identity
One of the best ways to avoid falling for grandparent scams is to ask the caller for your family’s safe word or code. If the caller is unable to give you the correct word or code, it will be clear that they are a scammer trying to steal your money.
If you suspect it is a scam, you could also hang up immediately and call your relative directly using the phone number you have saved for their contact. By contacting your relative in a separate call, you can ask them if they had just called you to ask for money and can be sure that you have the correct information for your loved ones.
What to do if you fall victim to a grandparent scam
Considering the intensity of some phone calls and how convincing some scammers can be, even if you know these signs and tips, you could still get scammed. If you have accidentally paid a scammer, there is no guarantee that you will get your money back, but here are some things that you can do right away:
- If you paid the scammer through cash or a wire transfer, contact the postal service or bank that you used to send the money immediately
- Report the scammer if you used a payment app like Venmo or Zelle
- Report the scam to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) by calling 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357)
When you call and report these scams, ask if the company or bank can return your money and cancel the money transfer. Explain that the charge was fraudulent if you gave the scammer your credit card information and that you need them to reverse the money transfer to give you your money back. You could also file a report with your local police department to prevent cybercriminals from scamming others.
Keep your grandparents safe from scams
Grandparent scams target elderly victims and rely on psychologically manipulative tactics to steal money, so it’s important to be aware of how you or your older family members could get scammed. By learning about the common signs of grandparent scams and what you can do to avoid them, you will be better prepared to keep your money and private information safe from scammers.