Grandparent scams and family-emergency calls

A code word and a callback rule, with the FTC’s reported-loss finding for family impersonation.

Written November 12, 2026.

A “grandparent scam” is a family-emergency impersonation: someone calls or messages and pretends to be a grandchild, another relative, or a lawyer or jail official calling on that person’s behalf. The story is usually an accident, an arrest, or a travel problem, and the instruction is to send money now and not tell the rest of the family. In the FTC’s October 19, 2026, report, older adults were 15% more likely than younger people to report a loss on a scam impersonating a friend or family member. That is a reported-loss finding, not a claim about your family.

These calls often rise in urgency around holidays, when relatives really are traveling. The holiday timing can make the story feel plausible. The payment method is still the giveaway.

What the call often sounds like

• “It’s me, Grandma. I’m in trouble. Please don’t tell Mom.”
• A second caller who says they are a lawyer, a bail bondsman, a doctor, or a police officer and needs payment today.
• A request to pay by wire, gift cards, a cash app, or cryptocurrency, sometimes by a courier who will come to the door.
• Pressure to stay on the line and not call anyone else.

A family rule that costs nothing

1. Pick a code word or a question only the real family would know, and tell the people who might call you in a real emergency. Write it in the same notebook as the official phone numbers.
2. Hang up. Even if the voice sounds right, end the call.
3. Call the person back at a number you already have — a cell number in your contacts, or another relative who would know where they are. Do not use a number the original caller just gave you.
4. Do not send money, gift cards, or cryptocurrency to “fix” the emergency until you have reached the real person. If a caller says you must keep it a secret from the rest of the family, treat that secrecy itself as a warning sign.

If money already went out, contact the bank, the wire service, or the gift-card issuer immediately and report the incident at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If personal information was also taken, use IdentityTheft.gov and consider a free credit freeze if you do not already have one.

A code word and a callback will not catch every lie. They do give you a pause, which is what this scam tries to remove.