How to Protect Your Parents from Scams (Without Being Their IT Department)

January 31, 2026 · 6 min read

You’ve had the conversation. Probably more than once.

“Don’t click that.” “Don’t call that number back.” “That email isn’t really from Amazon.”

You’ve shown them examples. You’ve set up their email filters. You’ve installed antivirus software on their computer. And still, every few weeks, you get that call: “Hey, I got this weird message… is this real?”

You want to help. But you can’t be on call 24/7.

The problem isn’t that they’re not careful

Let’s get this out of the way: your parents aren’t falling for scams because they’re careless or bad with technology. Today’s scams are genuinely sophisticated.

AI can clone a family member’s voice from a few seconds of audio. Phishing emails reference your real name, your real bank, and your real recent purchases. Caller ID shows “IRS” or “Social Security Administration” even when it’s a scammer calling from overseas. Fake websites are pixel-perfect copies of real ones.

Even tech-savvy people get caught. The difference isn’t intelligence or computer skills — it’s having someone to check with before you act.

What actually helps (and what doesn’t)

Most of the standard advice doesn’t work in practice:

• “Just be careful” — Not actionable. Careful people get scammed every day because the scams are designed to look real.
• Installing antivirus — Protects against viruses and malware, but does nothing about phone calls, texts, fake websites, or manipulative emails that don’t contain malicious files.
• Showing them examples — Helpful in the moment, but scams change faster than you can teach. The example you showed them last month looks nothing like the one hitting their phone today.

What does help is giving them a simple, repeatable habit and a safety net that’s always there — even when you’re not.

The “check before you act” rule

If you teach your parents one thing, make it this: when in doubt, check before you act.

Before clicking a link — check. Before calling a number back — check. Before sending money, entering a password, or giving out personal information — check. It doesn’t matter who they check with. It could be you, a friend, or a service like Antigrift. The point is to create a pause between “I got a scary message” and “I did what it said.”

That pause is where scams fall apart. Urgency is the scammer’s best weapon. A five-minute delay to check with someone breaks the spell.

Make checking easy

Here’s the problem: if checking is hard, they won’t do it. If it means calling you (and you might not pick up), or searching Google (and getting confused by results), or forwarding an email to some address they can’t remember — it won’t happen.

The best protection is something that requires zero tech skills. If your parents can text, they already know everything they need to know.

• Got a weird text? Screenshot it and send it to someone who can check.
• Got a suspicious email? Screenshot it.
• Not sure about a phone call? Text the number to someone who can look it up.
• See a scary popup? Take a photo of the screen.

One action. One habit. No apps to install, no passwords to remember, no settings to configure.

Set up a safety net they’ll actually use

You can be that safety net — sometimes. But the reality is you have your own life. You’re at work, you’re in a meeting, you’re asleep. And some scams work specifically because they create urgency: “Act now or your account will be closed.” Your parents need to be able to check right then, not when you’re free.

That’s where a dedicated service makes a difference:

• Daily email scanning catches threats before they even see them — including the targeted ones that slip past spam filters.
• On-demand text checks mean they can screenshot anything suspicious and get an answer in seconds, any time of day.
• Weekly scam alerts keep them informed about the latest threats without you having to play teacher.

The key is that it’s always available and always simple. No logins. No apps. Just text.

How to bring it up without making them feel patronized

This is the hard part. Nobody wants to feel like their kid thinks they can’t handle themselves. Here are a few approaches that work:

• “I set this up for myself too.” Frame it as something everyone needs, not something they need because they’re vulnerable. Because honestly, everyone does need it.
• “The scams out there right now are wild.” Lead with how sophisticated the scams are, not with concern about their ability. Show them an example of an AI-cloned voice or a perfect phishing page. They’ll understand why this isn’t about them personally.
• “It gives me peace of mind.” Be honest. You worry. That’s not an insult to them — it’s because you care. Most parents will accept help when they understand it makes their kid feel better, too.
• Set it up as a gift. Don’t ask them to decide. Just set it up, show them how to text a screenshot, and let them try it once. Low stakes. If they find it useful, they’ll keep using it.

You shouldn’t have to do this alone

You love your parents. You want them to be safe. But being their 24/7 scam hotline isn’t sustainable — for you or for them. They deserve protection that works on their terms, not yours.