Fred Goldenberg: Digital technology takes scamming to new heights

The phone rings at 2 p.m. on a Tuesday. For 74-year-old Martha, the voice on the other end is unmistakable: it is her grandson, Leo. He sounds terrified, breathless, and crying. “Grandma, I’m in trouble. I was in a car accident, and the police say I need bail money right now. Please don’t tell Mom.”

In years past, a savvy senior might have noticed the caller’s voice didn’t quite match or that the grammar was slightly off. But in 2026, the voice Martha heard was a perfect, AI-generated clone, created from a 10-second video Leo posted to Instagram the day before. This isn’t just a “grandparent scam” anymore; it is a high-tech heist, and technology has made the older generation its primary target.