LINDEN

A caller says your grandchild has been arrested and needs bail money.

Grandparent scams use a call about a grandchild in jail to rush you into paying bail, and this post explains the warning signs and what to do.

Source: This post is based on the fraud alert Fraud alert: Police receiving local reports of grandparent scam activity, published by the Thunder Bay Police Service on October 6, 2026.

The phone rings and a voice says your grandchild has been in an accident or arrested and needs money right now. It may sound like them, or it may be someone who says they are the lawyer or a police officer. This is a grandparent scam. Hang up, call your grandchild or another relative on a number you already have, and do not pay anyone.

The Thunder Bay Police Service in Ontario warned this month that local residents had been targeted by these calls within a few days, and other police services in Canada and the FBI in the United States have issued similar warnings. Once you know how the call goes, it is much easier to stay calm and check.

What the scam looks like

Thunder Bay police say the calls claim a family member was in an accident or has been arrested, and that money is urgently needed. The caller may claim to be a lawyer, a police officer, or someone else with a role in the court system, and may use spoofing so that a real-looking number shows on your call display. Police say recent callers demanded $5,000 and told the person to keep the matter a secret, and that someone may come to the home to collect the cash.

The FBI has described the same calls in steps. First, someone poses as the grandchild and says they are in jail after causing a car accident. Then a second caller, posing as the attorney, asks for money for legal fees, bond money, or medical costs. The callers may ask for more money later, and the FBI says the money may be sent by wire, mailed as cash hidden in magazines or books, or handed to couriers, such as ride share drivers, who collect it at the person’s home.

Sending someone to the door to collect cash is also part of courier fraud, where callers pose as police or bank staff.

Who it targets

Thunder Bay police say these calls typically target elderly residents or other vulnerable people. The scam works by creating an emotional response, so that the person believes the money is needed urgently and does not stop to check.

The target may be a grandparent, but the story is always about a younger relative. That is why this is a scam to talk about as a family.

Warning signs

  • A call saying a grandchild or another relative has been in an accident or arrested and needs money right away.
  • A second caller who says they are the lawyer, a police officer, or from the court.
  • A request to keep it secret.
  • Payment by wire transfer, cash in the mail, or cash handed to someone who comes to your door.
  • More requests for money after you have paid.
  • A familiar number on the screen. Thunder Bay police say call display can be spoofed.
  • A strong feeling of panic. Police say pressure to act urgently should be treated as a sign that a scam is taking place.

How to protect yourself

  • Hang up. Thunder Bay police say the best way to avoid being victimized is to hang up the phone.
  • Call your family member directly. Use a number you already have. If you cannot reach them, the FBI says to call someone else in the family, even if you were told to keep it secret.
  • Let unknown numbers go. The FBI advises not answering calls from numbers you do not recognize.
  • Limit what you post online. The FBI says scammers may use details from social media and dating sites to make the story convincing.
  • Do not send money or share financial details with someone who contacted you by phone or online.

A simple family plan

  • Agree a family question or safe word that a real relative would know.
  • Agree a call-back rule. Anyone who gets an emergency money call hangs up and phones another relative before doing anything.
  • Keep key numbers by the phone so checking is quick.
  • Take the shame out of it. Nobody will be cross about a call that turned out to be real, or one that nearly worked.

Scams don’t stop at borders

This alert comes from Canada, and the FBI has described the same call reaching families in the United States. The “grandchild in trouble” story travels easily, so wherever you live it is worth knowing how it goes and pausing to check with family before sending money, however urgent the call sounds.

The same pattern elsewhere

In the United States, the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) warned about grandparent scams on November 17, 2023. It said callers sometimes claim a judge has imposed a gag order to keep the grandparent quiet, and that from January through September 2023 it received more than 195 complaints about these scams, with at least $1.9 million in losses.

Elsewhere in Canada, the Edmonton Police Service warned of a rise in grandparent scams targeting seniors on August 6, 2026. It said it had received 21 reports in two months of seniors targeted by callers posing as police officers, who claim a child or grandchild has been arrested and needs bail money immediately. Edmonton police say police will never ask for payment to secure someone’s release, send a courier to collect money, demand immediate payment over the phone, or tell you to keep a police matter secret. The Sault Ste. Marie Police Service in Ontario issued its own fraud alert on grandparent scams on October 1, 2026, saying caller ID can be faked and that ending a suspicious call “isn’t rude”.

What to do if you’ve been affected

Stop sending money. Being targeted is nothing to be ashamed of. These callers are practised at creating panic.

  • US: file a complaint with the FBI’s IC3 and report to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. If you are 60 or older and need help filing with IC3, call the DOJ Elder Justice Hotline on 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311).
  • UK: call 159 to reach your bank (Stop Scams UK) and report to Report Fraud or on 0300 123 2040.
  • Canada: report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. In Thunder Bay, call the Thunder Bay Police Service non-emergency line on 807-684-1200. In Edmonton, call the Edmonton Police Service on 780-423-4567, or #377 from a mobile. In Sault Ste. Marie, call the Sault Ste. Marie Police Service on 705-949-6300.
  • Contact your bank on the number printed on your card or statement, not a number the caller gave you.

How Linden helps

Linden is being built so older adults and their families can talk a money decision through with someone they trust. With a call like this one, a quick conversation with family is often what keeps the money at home.

Sources

All scams