Your mom calls, frantic. “Someone from Microsoft said my computer has a virus. They need $500 to fix it or I’ll lose everything.”
Or worse: she already paid.
Seniors lose over $3 billion annually to fraud, and AI is making these scams devastatingly more effective. Voice cloning means scammers can call as “you” asking for emergency money. Deepfakes create convincing video “proof.” AI-generated emails look identical to legitimate ones.
This guide will help you protect your parents without making them feel helpless or patronized.
Why Seniors Are Targeted
It’s not about intelligence. Seniors are targeted because:
Wealth accumulation: Life savings, home equity, retirement accounts make them high-value targets.
Availability: More likely to answer unknown calls, less rushed to hang up.
Isolation: May have fewer people to consult before making decisions.
Generational trust: Grew up when caller ID didn’t exist and businesses were generally trustworthy.
Technical unfamiliarity: Less likely to recognize digital red flags.
AI amplifies all of these factors by making scams more personalized and convincing than ever before.
The Conversation: How to Approach This
Before implementing any protection, you need buy-in. Here’s how to have this conversation without being condescending:
Don’t: Make them feel incompetent
“Mom, you really need to be more careful. You can’t trust anyone.”
Do: Share it as news, not instructions
“Have you heard about these new scams using AI to clone people’s voices? I was reading about how they can sound exactly like a family member. It’s really sophisticated—even tech people fall for it.”
Don’t: Take over their autonomy
“I’m going to set up all your accounts and you’ll need to ask me before doing anything.”
Do: Collaborate on solutions
“What if we came up with a family code word? That way if someone calls claiming to be me and asking for money, you have a way to verify it’s really me.”
Frame it as protecting against criminals, not protecting them from themselves.
Layer 1: The Family Verification System
Code Words
Establish a family code word that only you know. If anyone calls claiming to be family and asking for help:
- Ask for the code word
- If they don’t know it (or say “what code word?”), it’s a scam
- Even if they sound exactly like the person
Good code words:
- Something memorable but not guessable from social media
- An inside joke or family memory
- Something too unusual to be coincidentally said
Example: Your family code word is “purple elephant dancing.” If someone calls as “your grandson” asking for bail money, you ask: “What’s our family phrase?” If they don’t immediately say “purple elephant dancing,” hang up.
Callback Protocol
Even with code words, establish a callback rule:
- For any request involving money, hanging up first is mandatory
- Call back on a number you already have saved
- Never use a number the caller provides
Script for parents: “I’m going to call you right back on your regular number” — then hang up and dial the number you have saved.
The 24-Hour Rule
For any financial decision over a certain threshold (you decide—$200? $500?), implement a mandatory waiting period:
“Mom, we agreed: any request for more than $500 means you sleep on it and call me first. No exceptions, no matter how urgent they say it is.”
Legitimate situations can wait 24 hours. Scams cannot.
Layer 2: Technical Protections
Call Screening
Set up call screening to reduce scam call volume:
On their phone:
- Enable carrier-provided scam blocking (most are free)
- iPhone: Settings → Phone → Silence Unknown Callers
- Android: Phone app → Settings → Caller ID & spam
Additional services:
- Nomorobo (free for landlines, paid for mobile)
- Call-blocking devices for landlines
Email Protection
Most phishing comes via email:
Set up two-factor authentication on their email account (offer to do this with them)
Create a rule together: “If an email asks me to click a link and do something urgently, I call you first”
Bookmark legitimate sites: Instead of clicking links in emails, use bookmarks to go directly to their bank, Medicare, Social Security, etc.
Browser and Computer
Install an ad blocker: uBlock Origin prevents malicious ads
Keep software updated: Enable automatic updates
Consider a security suite: With anti-phishing protection (see our security software reviews)
Layer 3: Information Hygiene
Scammers use personal information to make attacks convincing. Reduce what’s available:
Social Media Privacy
- Review privacy settings together
- Limit posts to friends only
- Remove birthdates, addresses, phone numbers
- Be cautious about posting grandchildren’s names
Phone Book Listings
- Consider removing landline from public directories
- Opt out of data broker sites (DeleteMe or similar services help automate this)
Mail Security
- Use informed delivery from USPS to know what’s coming
- Shred financial documents
- Opt out of prescreened credit offers: OptOutPrescreen.com
Layer 4: Financial Protections
Even if a scam succeeds, these measures limit damage:
Account Monitoring
- Set up alerts for transactions over a threshold
- Consider a credit freeze (free and prevents new accounts being opened)
- Review statements together monthly
Trusted Contact
Many financial institutions allow you to designate a trusted contact—someone they can call if they notice unusual activity. This isn’t power of attorney; it’s just an alert system.
Gift Card Awareness
The single most important thing to communicate:
No legitimate organization accepts gift cards as payment.
Not the IRS. Not Medicare. Not tech support. Not bail bondsmen. Not utility companies. If anyone asks for gift cards, it is 100% a scam.
Tape a note near where they keep gift cards if needed.
Layer 5: Ongoing Communication
Regular Check-Ins
- Ask about unusual calls or emails during regular conversations
- Make it normal to talk about, not a big deal
- Share stories of scams you’ve heard about (normalizes vigilance)
“Call Me First” Culture
Reinforce that you want them to call you about:
- Any unexpected prize or windfall
- Any request for money, no matter who it seems to be from
- Any tech support contact they didn’t initiate
- Anything that makes them feel rushed or scared
Make it their idea: “What would you want me to do if I got a call like that? Yeah, I’d want you to call me too. Let’s both agree to do that.”
When to Involve Professionals
If you notice:
- Unusual financial activity
- Reluctance to discuss finances
- New “friends” they’re secretive about
- Defensive reactions to questions about money
Consider:
- Speaking with their financial advisor
- Consulting an elder law attorney about protective measures
- Contacting Adult Protective Services if you suspect ongoing exploitation
Resources
To report scams:
- FTC: ReportFraud.ftc.gov
- FBI IC3: ic3.gov (internet crimes)
- State Attorney General
If they’ve been victimized:
- Don’t blame them—this is not their fault
- Report to relevant authorities
- Contact financial institutions immediately
- Consider identity theft protection if personal info was shared
The Most Important Thing
Your parents probably know they’re being cautious already. The challenge is that AI scams are designed to bypass normal caution.
The goal isn’t to make them afraid of everything. It’s to give them specific tools—code words, callback protocols, waiting periods—that work even against convincing scams.
And most importantly: make it easy for them to call you without feeling embarrassed. The best protection is a quick verification call with someone they trust.