AI scams
It Sounds Exactly Like Your Grandson, Crying for Help. It Isn't Him
AI voice cloning has turned the old 'family emergency' scam into something far more convincing. The FBI now tracks it separately.
The phone rings. The voice on the other end is panicked, and it's unmistakably your grandchild's: there's been an accident, or an arrest, and they need money right now. Please don't tell Mom and Dad.
This "family emergency" scam has been around for years. What has changed is the voice. With a few seconds of audio taken from social media videos, AI tools can produce a convincing copy of almost anyone.
The FBI received 22,364 complaints involving AI in 2025, with about $893 million in losses — the first year its annual report gave AI its own section.
Those complaints include voice cloning in "family in distress" calls and deepfakes used in investment schemes.
Why it works
The scam relies on emotion and speed. Fear shuts down the part of us that would normally ask questions, and the caller insists there's no time to check. A second person often takes over the call, claiming to be a lawyer or police officer, to make the story feel official.
Older adults are the main target
Seniors filed more than 3,100 complaints referencing AI in 2025, with losses above $352 million, according to the FBI's data.
The defense that works
- Set a family code word that only you know. Anyone calling with an emergency has to say it.
- Hang up and call the person back on the number you already have for them.
- Be suspicious of any request for gift cards, crypto, wire transfers or cash pickups.
- Report it at ic3.gov.