Imagine your phone rings.
You answer, and on the other end you hear a familiar voice.
“Grandma, I need your help.”
It sounds like your grandson. He sounds frightened. Maybe he's crying. He tells you he's been in an accident, gotten arrested, or is stranded somewhere. Then comes the urgent request:
“Please don't tell Mom and Dad. I just need you to send me money.”
Your first instinct may be to help.
But before you send a single dollar, stop.
The person you're hearing may not be your grandchild at all.
AI Can Now Imitate Someone You Love
Scammers have always tried to impersonate family members. What's different today is artificial intelligence.
AI technology can be used to create a convincing imitation of someone's voice. A scammer may obtain a sample from a video posted online and use technology to make it sound as though that person is saying things they never actually said.
That means the old advice—“I'd recognize my grandchild's voice”—isn't enough anymore.
The Federal Trade Commission has warned consumers about family-emergency impersonation scams involving voice cloning. According to FTC data released in 2026, consumers reported losing $3.5 billion to impersonation scams in 2025.
So what should you do?
1. Don't Let Urgency Make the Decision for You
Scammers don't want you to have time to think.
That's why you'll often hear things such as:
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“I need the money right now.”
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“Please don't call Mom.”
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“Don't tell anybody.”
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“I'm embarrassed.”
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“The police said I only have an hour.”
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“My phone is dying.”
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“I'll explain everything later.”
The emergency may change, but the strategy is the same:
Create fear. Create urgency. Prevent you from checking the story.
If someone claiming to be a family member tells you that you can't contact anyone else, that should immediately make you suspicious.
2. Hang Up and Call Them Yourself
This is one of the simplest things you can do.
Hang up.
Then call your grandchild, child, or family member using the phone number you already have saved for them.
Don't simply call back the number that contacted you.
If your grandson supposedly called from jail, call his regular number anyway. Then call his parents or another family member who would know where he is.
You may discover that he's perfectly fine—and has no idea someone just called pretending to be him.
3. Create a Secret Family Word
Here's something every family can do today.
Choose a family safety word or phrase that isn't obvious and isn't something you'd normally post online.
If someone calls claiming to be your child or grandchild and needs emergency money, ask:
“What's our family word?”
If they can't answer, hang up.
Don't use something easy to discover, such as a pet's name, birthday, hometown, favorite sports team, or grandchild's name.
Choose something unusual that only your family knows.
Then make sure your children and grandchildren know the rule:
If there's ever a real emergency, they should be prepared to give you the family word.
4. Never Send Money the Way a Stranger Tells You To
Be especially cautious if someone tells you to pay using:
Gift cards. Cryptocurrency. Wire transfers. Cash delivered to a courier.
Those payment methods can be extremely difficult to recover once the money is gone.
And remember:
Just because the caller knows your grandchild's name, school, hometown, friends, vacation plans, or other personal information doesn't mean the call is legitimate.
A surprising amount of information can be found online.
5. Don't Be Embarrassed If You Almost Believe It
These scams work because they target something good:
Your love for your family.
A grandparent hears a frightened grandchild and doesn't immediately think about technology.
You think:
My baby needs me.
That's exactly the emotional reaction the scammer is hoping for.
Being cautious doesn't mean you love your family any less.
It means you're protecting them—and yourself.
Be Wise, Not Fearful
Technology is changing quickly, and some of it can sound frightening.
But Christians aren't called to live in fear.
We're called to walk in wisdom.
James 1:5 reminds us:
“If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God.”
And Proverbs 14:15 says:
“The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going.”
Those words were written long before cell phones, social media, or artificial intelligence existed.
But the principle couldn't be more relevant today.
Don't believe something simply because it sounds convincing. Stop. Pray. Think. Verify.
Do This With Your Family Today
Before you close this article, take five minutes and do these three things:
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Choose a family safety word.
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Tell your children and grandchildren about it.
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Promise one another that you'll always verify an emergency before sending money.
Those five minutes could someday save someone you love thousands of dollars—and a great deal of heartache.
And there's one more thing you can do.
Share this article with a parent, grandparent, neighbor, church member, or friend who needs to know about this scam.
You never know whose phone will ring next.
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” — 2 Timothy 1:7 (KJV)
