How to protect your parents from scams
A text about a parcel, a call from “the bank”, a message from a child with a new number. Scammers count on people getting flustered and acting at once. The best protection is that asking first feels natural.
The most common tricks right now
- Parcel texts. A parcel is waiting and a small fee must be paid through a link. The link leads to a fake page that collects card numbers.
- Fake bank staff. Someone calls from “the bank” or “the police” and says the account is at risk. Then you are asked to log in, read out a code or move money to a “safe account”.
- “Hi Mum, I have a new number”. A message from someone pretending to be a child or grandchild, who soon needs help with a payment.
- Fake invoices and letters. A bill that looks official but has the wrong account number.
- “Computer support” calling. Someone says the computer has a virus and wants you to install a program so they can “help”.
What they all have in common: it is urgent, and something must be done now.
Three rules that stop most of them
- Never click a link in a text or e-mail about money. Go to the company's own website or app instead.
- Never give out codes, card numbers or passwords, and never log in for someone who calls. The bank and the police never ask for that.
- Hang up and call back yourself. Use the number on the back of the card or on the bank's website, never the number in the message or the one that called.
And most important: when someone says it is urgent, that is a reason to wait, not to hurry.
Make it easy to ask first
Many people who are tricked feel ashamed afterwards, and many don't ask beforehand because they don't want to be a bother. Say it plainly: “You can always ask me, however small it is. I'm glad when you ask.”
Agree on one simple family rule: before you do anything about a strange text, e-mail, letter or call, show me first. The easier it is to show, the more often it happens.
How “Is this for real?” works in HelpMom
HelpMom has a button for exactly this. Your parent presses Is this for real? and first sees a reminder: don't do anything with it yet, don't click links and never give out codes.
- Then they take a screenshot of the text or e-mail, or a picture of the letter.
- You get a notification and see the picture in your app.
- You answer with one tap: Scam – do nothing, It looks fine or I will call you.
- The answer appears big on their screen, and arrives as a notification if the app is closed.
The picture travels encrypted, directly between your phones, not through our server. If several brothers and sisters help, the question goes to all of you, and whoever looks first answers.
If it has already happened
- Call the bank straight away and block the card and the login. The number is on the bank's website and on the card.
- Change passwords for anything that may have been given out.
- Report it to the police. It is often needed to get money back, and it helps the police see patterns.
- Be kind. Scammers are skilled, and it can happen to anyone. Someone who feels ashamed won't ask next time.
When seeing is easier than explaining
HelpMom is made for exactly this: your parent presses one button, you see what their phone camera sees, and you can circle the right button on the picture. See how it works or get HelpMom.