Grandparent Scams Meet AI

You get a call from a panicked grandchild or other family member. They say they're in a time-sensitive crisis—hospitalized after a car accident or jailed for example—and beg for immediate financial help.

They may hand the phone over to someone they say is a police officer, lawyer or court official who provides detailed instructions for sending money via gift card, wire transfer, cryptocurrency or cash.

This is the beginning of the grandparent scam. , and it’s more sophisticated than ever. Criminals now have generative artificial intelligence tools to make the fake situation seem all-the-more real. But there is no emergency: It’s a setup to steal your money.

If you receive a call like this, verify the situation by contacting your loved one directly using a number you know is theirs. Above all, if you receive an unexpected communication that puts you into a state of high emotion and involves urgency, let that be your signal to take an “active pause.” Give yourself time to reflect on what you might know about the situation or to reach out to someone for guidance. AARP Fraud Watch Network^TM is mounting an educational campaign to “Pause. Reflect. Protect.”

Report scams to local law enforcement. For help from AARP, call 1-877-908-3360 or visit the AARP Fraud Watch Network at www.aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork.

With about 1 million members in Virginia, AARP is the largest organization working on behalf of people age 50-plus and their families in the Commonwealth. To learn more about how AARP Virginia is working in your community, like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/aarpvirginia and follow @AARPVa on X at www.X.com/aarpva.

 

AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to the more than 100 million Americans 50-plus and their families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org/about-aarp/, www.aarp.org/español or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspañol and @AARPadvocates on social media.