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Protect your parents from scams: a family guide

You don't need to monitor anyone's bank account. A 20-minute talk and a sheet on the fridge stop most scams. Here's the plan.

Free Fridge Sheet (PDF) Family Safety Checklist (PDF)

Why it matters

People 60 and older reported $7.7 billion in losses to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center in 2025, up 37% from 2024. (FBI IC3 2025 report, IC3 elder fraud brochure.) In an AARP survey, 82% of adults 50+ said they talk to older loved ones about scams. (AARP)

The 6-step family plan

1. Pick a family safe word. If someone calls in an "emergency" and can't say it, hang up and call back. The FCC suggests this for grandparent scams.
2. Agree on the money rule: nobody in our family ever pays anyone with gift cards, crypto, a Bitcoin ATM, a wire, or cash handed to a courier. The FTC says only scammers ask for gift cards.
3. Agree on the code rule: never read a code you were sent to anyone who calls you, even "the bank".
4. Write the real numbers down: the bank (back of the card), Medicare 1-800-633-4227, and two family members. Put them on the fridge sheet.
5. Make "hang up and call back" normal. Real banks and agencies are fine with you hanging up and calling the number you know.
6. Promise no shame. Scammers win when people are too embarrassed to tell anyone. Say: "If anything feels off, call me first. I'll never be upset."

How to start the talk

• "I read about a text scam about unpaid tolls. Has anything like that come to you?"
• "Can we pick a family code word, just in case someone fakes my voice?"
• "Would you text me a screenshot of anything that asks for money? I'll check it with you."

Set up their phone (10 minutes)

• Turn on the phone's spam call and unknown-sender filters.
• Save your number and the bank's real number as favorites.
• Add this site to their home screen: open it in the browser, then "Add to Home Screen".
• Show them how to take a screenshot and use "Send to my family" here.

If they already paid

1. Call the bank or card company right away using the number on the card.
2. For gift cards, call the card company and ask for a refund. Keep the cards and receipts. (FTC)
3. Report to ReportFraud.ftc.gov and IC3.
4. If personal information was shared, use IdentityTheft.gov.
5. Be kind. Losing money to a scam is not a sign of being foolish. These are professional criminals.

Updated October 16, 2026.