I was scammed out of $20,000 (I was told my grandson was in jail and his attorney needed money). Can I deduct this?

According to AARP, this is a common scam that has cost grandparents millions of dollars. Unfortunately, the tax rules don’t help in any way. The deduction for a theft loss—assuming such scam is a theft under state law—cannot be claimed in 2018 through 2025.