What is a Daughter Car Crash scam?

The daughter car crash scam is a rather new scam submitted to us from our users. A woman pretending to be a daughter will call you in a panic and explain they were in a car accident and need your assistance. They will try to emotionally maniupluate you by saying they are scared and do not know what to do.

The scammer will either: 1) Swap to a male who will then pretend to be the police and explain that she will go to prison for a very long time, or you can pay them immediately and prevent the girl from going to prison. 2) The female scammer will continue to beg and plea until eventually hanging the phone up. You will then be called about 15 minutes later by someone pretending to be the police explaining you were her only call she could make.

Lastly, please note that this scam has gotten a bit more advanced with AI. Sometimes scammer can use your child’s voice through AI technology and dub it. The reason this is possible is because they will take various clips from your child’s social media accounts to generate a voice recording.

How can you stay safe?

This scam requires a bit of due diligence. First, you need to be aware of this possible scam in order to have your guard up. This scam doesn’t particularly target victims with daughters, but targets empathetic individuals who might want to help a distraught teenager.

The dead giveaway that this is a scam is that the individual pretending to be either the police officer, doctor, or teenage girl will say that they only accept payment in gift cards or wire transfers. If you mention anything about coming down to the police station or getting the girl’s parents’ phone numbers, they will decline.

If you experience someone who is using AI to deepfake your own child’s voice, this is where preparation is key in the situation. ALWAYS have a catchphrase with your children to signify if they are in danger. Keep the catchphrase secret between the family and only use it during emergencies.

Lastly, the most important thing to do is stay calm and take a few minutes to think clearly. All scammers want you to react immediately. Taking just a moment to think can significantly aid you in uncovering the scam.