All common scams

"Grandma, I'm in trouble": family emergency calls

A call or message says a grandchild or relative is in trouble and needs money quickly and secretly.

What it looks like

Grandma, it's me. I'm in jail after a car accident and I need bail tonight. Please don't tell Mom and Dad. Call my lawyer immediately: +1 (202) 555-0146.

A made-up example. Real messages change the words, the names and the numbers.

The signs to look for

• It claims to be a relative in trouble, often just "it's me" so you supply the name. The voice may be copied or faked.
• It asks you to keep it secret and to hurry. The secrecy keeps other family from telling you it is false.
• It hands you to a lawyer or officer, with a number to call, and the money follows.

What they usually ask for next

1. A message or call often says a relative is in trouble.
2. They usually ask you to keep it secret and act fast.
3. A second person often calls as a lawyer or an officer and asks for bail money, often in cash or gift cards.
4. They may ask you to send cash by courier, gift cards, crypto or a wire transfer.

If you already paid, gave access or gave a code

These are the same steps the tool shows after a check, in the same words.

1. Contact your bank, card company, or payment provider right away, by phone or in their official app, using a number from your card or statement. Ask whether the payment can be stopped or disputed. That depends on the payment type and the timing, and an outcome can't be promised. Phone is usually the fastest first move. Going to a local branch (a later step) is the follow-up, not a replacement.
2. If cash, a check, or a package went to a courier or through the post, tell your bank if a check is involved and report it to the police straight away, with what you remember about the person and the time.
3. Contact the gift card company's fraud line, using the number or help page printed on the card or on the company's official website that you type yourself. Say the card was used in a scam and ask what they can do. Do it quickly, because a card that has already been spent cannot be helped. Keep the card, its receipt and any case number you are given. Never read the full card number to anyone who contacted you.
4. End contact and block the number. Do not call back, and expect follow-up calls that pretend to help.

These steps are general guidance. They have not yet been reviewed by the organizations named, and agencies, deadlines and rules differ by country, so use your own government's official website to find the right office. We can't tell whether any step will help in your case.

This is general information, not legal, financial or investigative advice. We can't promise any money will come back.

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