How to protect your parents and grandparents from scams
If you worry about an older parent or grandparent being scammed, you are right to. Criminals deliberately target older people, who are more likely to have savings, a landline, and a generation’s habit of trusting a caller who sounds official. But this is not about them being “past it.” Scams are clever and relentless, and they catch sharp, careful people of every age. The job here is to help, without making anyone feel patronised or ashamed.
Start with a kind conversation, not a lecture
The fastest way to shut this down is to make someone feel stupid. Instead, lead with the scam, not the person: “Mum, there’s a really convincing fake bank text going round at the moment, can I show you?” Share that it happens to everyone (it happened to me). The goal is simple: you want them to feel they can ring you to check something without any embarrassment. That one habit prevents more losses than any gadget.
The set-up: do these together
- Tame the phone. Most scams arrive by call or text. Register their number with the free Telephone Preference Service to cut marketing calls, turn on the network’s spam-call filtering, and consider a dedicated call blocker phone for a landline, which screens unknown callers automatically. That is an affiliate link; as an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you.
- Set up the bank safely. Turn on transaction alerts, make sure they know about the 159 “call your bank safely” number, and agree a simple rule: the bank, police and HMRC will never ring and ask them to move money “to keep it safe” or read out a code.
- Lock the key accounts. Help them onto a password manager and switch on two-factor authentication for their email and banking. Offer to be their “trusted person” to call before they act on anything.
- Cut the junk. Forward scam texts to 7726, report scam post to Royal Mail, and tidy up the marketing they’re signed up to.
The three rules worth teaching
The UK’s Take Five campaign sums it up well: Stop, Challenge, Protect.
- Stop. Anyone pressuring you to act right now is a warning sign, not a deadline.
- Challenge. It is completely fine to hang up, say no, or ignore a message. Then call the organisation back on a number you found yourself, never the one they gave you.
- Protect. No genuine company asks for your full password, PIN or a one-time code, or asks you to move money.
The scams that target older people most
Bank or police impersonation, “your computer has a virus” tech-support calls, romance scams, courier fraud (a “bank official” sends someone to collect your card), and pension or investment offers. Our guides on spotting a phishing email and fake delivery texts cover the most common written ones.
If they have already been caught
Act quickly and, above all, without blame. Walk through what to do if you’ve been scammed and how to report it. And remember the emotional side is real, for them and for you: how to cope after being scammed may help.
Where to get help
- Friends Against Scams offers free, short online training to spot and resist scams, designed with older people in mind.
- Take Five to Stop Fraud and Which? scam alerts keep you up to date on what’s going round.
- Citizens Advice and Victim Support (0808 16 89 111) help after the fact.
The strongest protection of all costs nothing: an older relative who feels safe ringing you to ask “does this look right?” before they click or pay. More in our scams and fraud section.