Home › Scam alerts › November 2, 2026
Before the holidays: "grandkid in trouble" calls that use AI to copy a loved one's voice
Posted · Written by Daniel Morton, Scam, Fraud & Prevention Consultant, Winston-Salem, NC
As families start traveling for the holidays, scammers call grandparents pretending to be a grandchild in a crisis: an arrest, a car accident, or bail money. What's new is that the voice on the line can sound exactly like your grandchild. The NC Department of Justice warns that scammers can use artificial intelligence (AI) to copy a loved one's voice, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says these scams are especially common around the holidays.
1. AI voice-clone "family emergency" calls
How it works: Scammers look up your family on the internet and social media, so they know names and details that make the call sound real. Then a caller who sounds like your grandchild says they're in trouble, begs you not to tell their parents, and asks you to wire money or buy gift cards right away. Sometimes a second person gets on the line pretending to be a lawyer or officer. The FBI's top agent in North Carolina told CBS 17 his office is seeing scams that copy a person's voice, video, or both to trick family members into wiring money.
Red flags:
- An urgent call asking for money, especially by wire transfer, gift cards, or cryptocurrency
- The caller asks you to keep it secret or says there's no time to check
- The voice sounds right, but the story can't be confirmed with anyone else in the family
What to do: Hang up. Don't press redial. Call your grandchild, or their parents, at a number you already have. On a landline, the NC Department of Justice suggests waiting a few seconds before picking up again so the scammer is really disconnected. Ask a question only your real family member could answer, and consider agreeing on a family code word ahead of time. If someone asks you to pay with gift cards, it's a scam.
Sources: NC Department of Justice AI scam alert · NC DOJ Senior Scam Guide · Consumer Financial Protection Bureau · CBS 17
Read the full guide: Is that "grandchild in trouble" call a scam? →
2. Fake videos of famous people promising "guaranteed" returns
How it works: In October the Watauga County Sheriff's Office listed investment and cryptocurrency scams among its top 10 local scams, warning that they use AI-generated videos of recognizable public figures to promise guaranteed returns. The video looks and sounds real, but the person never said it.
What to do: Treat any online ad or video promising guaranteed returns as a scam, no matter who appears in it. Never send money or crypto to a platform you found through an ad or a stranger's message. Talk to someone you trust, or your own bank, first.
Sources: WataugaOnline, Oct. 2, 2026
Protect your family's voices
- Check privacy settings so strangers can't see your family's posts.
- The NC Department of Justice suggests reviewing and removing audio recordings of yourself and loved ones from social media.
If you already sent money
It happens to careful, loving people. Call your bank or the company you sent money through right away. Report it to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 1-800-CALL-FBI, and to the NC Department of Justice at 1-877-5-NO-SCAM or ncdoj.gov/complaint.
If something doesn't feel right
Take your time, and talk it over with someone you trust. There's no shame in it, and reporting helps your neighbors too.
This alert summarizes the news reports and official warnings linked above. It's general information, not legal or financial advice.