By Moti Shay · updated July 25, 2026
Scammers target older people on purpose: they answer the phone, they're polite, they're less at ease with technology, and they often have savings. Bank-impersonation calls, fake-parcel texts and tech-support scams claim thousands of victims every month, and shame keeps many of them from ever telling anyone. Here's how to protect your parents concretely, without treating them as helpless.
1. The fake bank officer: a call "from your bank" flags suspicious activity and asks you to "confirm" cancellations or move money "to keep it safe", really a transfer to the scammer. 2. The fake parcel: a courier text asks for a small "customs fee" to steal the card. 3. Tech support: an alarming pop-up, "your computer is infected, call Microsoft", then remote takeover. 4. The romance scam: an online relationship that always ends in a request for money. 5. The child-in-distress text: "Mum, I broke my phone, this is my new number", followed by an urgent transfer request.
Most older victims say nothing: out of shame, out of fear of being judged "no longer capable," or because they don't realise right away. The result: the scam repeats. So the most important thing isn't the technique, it's creating a climate where your parent feels safe showing you a suspicious message without fear of being ridiculed. One sentence does it: "These scams fool engineers too. When in doubt, send me the message, it takes me 10 seconds."
• Your bank will never ask for a code, password or transfer by phone or text. Ever. Hang up and call the official number on the back of the card. • No legitimate organisation demands an urgent payment by SMS link. Not the post office, not the tax office, not any government agency. • A code received by text is personal. You never read it out to anyone, not even someone claiming to be "an agent."
"Be careful" is useless without a concrete tool. Install a reflex instead: any suspicious message gets copied and pasted into the free Phishy checker (on this page), the answer comes in seconds, in plain language: safe, suspicious or scam. No account, no complicated steps.
The Phishy app has a Family Mode built exactly for this: you connect your parent's phone (with their consent, in a minute), and if a scam message reaches them, you get an immediate alert, without ever seeing their private conversations. They keep their independence and privacy; you keep an eye on what matters. It's the difference between catching the scam before the click... or after the transfer.
1. Card compromised: block it immediately (number on the back of the card). 2. Transfer made: contact the bank without delay, a recall is sometimes possible in the first hours. 3. Report it to your national fraud/cybercrime hotline and file a police report. 4. Block and report the number in the messaging app, and keep the evidence (screenshots). 5. Above all: take the guilt off your parent. They're the victim, not the culprit.
Don't say "be careful, you could get caught", say "these scams fool everyone, even professionals, send me anything that looks odd." Position yourself as an ally, not a supervisor.
Almost certainly. A bank never asks for a code or transaction confirmation on an incoming call. The right move: hang up and call the official number yourself.
No. You only get an alert when a dangerous message is detected. The content of their conversations stays completely private.
The Phishy web checker works in any browser, with nothing to install: paste the message, get the answer.
Very common. Reassure him: thousands of people are caught every month, and shame only helps the scammer. Then act fast: block the card, call the bank, file a report.