That Voice on the Phone May Not Be Your Grandchild

Fraudulent telephone calls and emails are nothing new. Unfortunately, artificial intelligence is making some of the oldest scams much more convincing.

We have had a number of clients encounter attempted scams involving someone pretending to be a family member, a government agency, a bank, or another trusted person. One of the most common is sometimes called the “grandparent scam.”

The call often begins with frightening news. A person claiming to be a grandchild says that he or she has been in an automobile accident, has been arrested, or is facing some other emergency. Money is supposedly needed immediately to post bond, pay an attorney, cover medical expenses, or solve the problem before it gets worse.

The scammer may also insist that the situation is embarrassing and ask the grandparent not to tell anyone else in the family.

In the past, there was often an obvious problem with these calls: the criminal did not actually sound like the grandchild. Scammers came up with explanations—a broken nose from the accident, a bad telephone connection, or simply that the caller was upset.

Artificial intelligence has changed that. The AI concern is very real rather than hypothetical. In April 2026, the FBI reported nearly $893 million in losses associated with AI-related complaints during 2025 and specifically identified fake social-media content, voice clones, and believable depictions of loved ones among scammers’ tools.

Today, criminals can use voice-cloning technology to imitate another person's voice. Recordings or video clips posted on social media can provide material that may be used to create a remarkably convincing imitation. The Federal Trade Commission warns consumers not to trust a familiar-sounding voice by itself when someone calls claiming to be a loved one in an emergency.

That means one of our natural safeguards—“I would recognize my grandchild's voice”—may no longer be enough.

Stop Before You Send Money

If you receive one of these calls, the most important thing you can do is slow down.

Do not allow the caller's sense of urgency to become your sense of urgency. Hang up and call your grandchild, child, or other family member directly using a telephone number that you already know to be correct. If you cannot reach that person, call another family member who can help confirm what is happening.

And be particularly suspicious if someone tells you to pay by gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfer, or another unusual payment method. These methods are favorites of scammers because once the money is sent, it can be extremely difficult to recover.

No matter how convincing the story sounds—or how familiar the voice sounds—verify it independently before sending anything.

Families may also want to establish a simple word or question known only to close family members that can be used when an unexpected emergency call raises concerns.

When in Doubt, Call Someone You Trust

Scammers succeed by creating fear and convincing people that they must act immediately and secretly. The best defense is often simply involving another trusted person before taking action.

If one of our clients receives a suspicious call involving an alleged arrest, accident, attorney, court proceeding, or other supposed legal emergency, please feel free to call our office before sending money. We would much rather spend a few minutes helping determine whether the situation appears legitimate than learn afterward that a client has been victimized by a scam.

Technology is making fraud more sophisticated, but one rule remains simple:

Stop. Verify. Then act.