'Your Son Hit My Car' Settlement Scam
A caller claims your child or grandchild damaged their car and wants a quick private cash settlement to avoid insurance or police.
Think a message like this reached you? You can check it right now.
What this scam is
A stranger calls claiming your son, daughter, or grandchild hit their vehicle and offers to settle privately for cash right now rather than involving insurance or police. Sometimes a second 'person' pretends to be your relative admitting fault and begging you to pay. The 'accident' never happened. The offer to keep it quiet and settle immediately by app or gift card is the tell. Verifying with your relative ends it.
What it usually looks like
- A caller claiming your relative damaged their car.
- An offer to settle privately, fast, for cash.
- Pressure to avoid insurance or police.
- Payment by app or gift card.
Common warning signs
- A private cash settlement demanded immediately.
- Pressure to keep police/insurance out of it.
- You cannot reach your relative to confirm.
- Untraceable payment methods.
Example wording scammers use
“Your grandson rear-ended me and doesn't want you to know — let's settle for $900 on Cash App and keep it quiet.”
“I won't call the police if you send the repair money now.”
These are illustrative examples written by ScamSplain, not real messages.
What the scammers want
- A quick private 'settlement.'
- To exploit worry about your relative.
- Untraceable payment.
What to do
- Hang up and call your relative directly to verify.
- Real accidents go through insurance and, if needed, police reports.
- Never settle by app or gift card with an unknown caller.
- Report the call.
What to do if you already responded
- Contact your payment app to try to reverse it.
- Confirm your relative is fine.
- Report at reportfraud.ftc.gov.