Keeping mum, dad or your grandparents safe from scammers
Most of the messages I get start the same way: "I'm worried about my mum." Or dad, or nan. You can't be there for every call or text, but a few simple steps make a real difference, and none of them need you to be a tech expert.
Three things to do this week
1. Agree a family rule. Nobody pays anyone who gets in touch out of the blue without checking with you first. Make it a family rule, not a lecture. 2. Pick a family password. A word only you know, to use if someone ever calls or messages claiming to be you and asking for money. It beats AI voice clones. 3. Cut the cold calls. Register their number with the free Telephone Preference Service, and set their phone up with the basics in the guide below. Start here • How Do I Help an Older Parent Stay Safe Online? • How Do You Keep Three Generations Safe Online? • How to Protect Your Family from AI Voice Clone Scams • Voice Clone Scam Call: How Does It Fool People? • How Do You Set Up a New Phone Securely? • What Online Safety Basics Should Every Family Know? If it's already happened Don't sit on it, and don't let them feel daft. Call the bank straight away on the number on the back of the card, or 159. Then report it to Report Fraud at reportfraud.police.uk or on 0300 123 2040. Free checklist Print it off and leave a copy by their phone. Get the free safety checklist. Ask before you act Not sure about a message they've had? Ask in my free Facebook group, Scam Check UK. My book, Spot the Scam, is written in plain English, so it's one you can hand to them too.