The Grandparent Scam in Canada: The Exact Script Scammers Use

How the call usually starts

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre describes a consistent opening: the caller says something like “Hi Grandma, it's me!” or asks “Do you know who this is?” That second line does the scammer's work for them — a grandparent guesses a name (“Michael? Is that you?”), and the scammer now has a name to use for the rest of the call.

The story that follows

It's almost always one of a small set of emergencies:

• Arrested and needs bail money.
• In a car accident and needs to pay for damages or a tow.
• Stuck in another country and needs money to get home.
• At the hospital, and needs to cover a bill before treatment.

Often a second caller joins — a fake “lawyer” or “police officer” — to make it feel official. They may claim a gag order prevents the grandparent from telling anyone else about the situation. One fact makes this easy to catch: the Canadian criminal justice system does not allow someone to be bailed out of jail with cash or cryptocurrency. If bail is the story and cash or crypto is the ask, it is not real.

What they ask you to do

The payment request is the second reliable tell. Scammers ask for cash picked up in person by a courier, cash sent by mail, cryptocurrency, or gift cards. A real bail office, hospital, or lawyer does not collect payment this way.

AI voice cloning has made this harder to catch

In 2024, Canadians reported losing nearly $3 million to family-emergency and grandparent scams involving voice cloning, according to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Scammers can now build a convincing copy of a real family member's voice from a short clip pulled off social media — a TikTok, a birthday video, a voicemail greeting. “It sounded exactly like him” is no longer proof that it was him.

Red flags to watch for

• “Do you know who this is?” instead of stating their name.
• An urgent request for secrecy — “don't tell Mom.”
• A second caller posing as a lawyer or police officer.
• Payment requested by cash pickup, cash by mail, crypto, or gift cards.
• Any caller ID showing a familiar name or number — caller ID can be spoofed.

What to do if you get this call

If you're in the middle of this call right now, skip ahead to our 10-minute action checklist. Otherwise, here is what to do:

1. Hang up. Do not send money while still on the call.
2. Call the family member back directly, using a number you already have — not one the caller gave you.
3. If you can't reach them, call another family member to check.
4. Agree on a family codeword ahead of time — something short, not guessable, and shared in person, never over text or social media. A real emergency call can give it; a scammer can't.
5. Report it to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre at 1-888-495-8501 or antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca, whether or not money was sent.