For families
Protecting a parent from scams, without taking over their life.
Plain-English guides for adult children and caregivers. Every guide is checked against FTC, FBI and other official sources.
Prevent it.
For families
How to protect elderly parents from scams: 12 practical steps
12 practical steps to protect elderly parents from phone, email and financial scams: a family code word, call filters, bank alerts, credit freezes and more.
Read · 9 minFor families
10 signs your parent is being scammed
How to tell if an elderly parent is being scammed: 10 behavior and money warning signs, from secrecy and gift cards to new online friends, and what to do next.
Read · 7 minFor families
Why your parent keeps falling for scams (and what actually helps)
Elderly parent keeps getting scammed? Why past victims get targeted again, how recovery scams work, why shame backfires, and the guardrails that actually help.
Read · 7 minFor families
How to talk to your parent about scams without a fight
How to talk to an aging parent about scams without sounding condescending: when to bring it up, what to say, a word-for-word script, and what to avoid saying.
Read · 6 minGmail how-to
How to stop scam emails in a parent's Gmail
Step-by-step: report phishing, block senders, check filters and forwarding, turn on 2-Step Verification, and run Security Checkup in a parent's Gmail account.
Read · 8 minGmail how-to
How to set up Gmail safely for an elderly parent
Set up a parent's Gmail the safe way: recovery phone and email, 2-Step Verification or a passkey, Security Checkup, Inactive Account Manager, a simpler inbox.
Read · 8 minFor families
Dementia and scams: how to protect a parent with memory loss
Why dementia raises scam risk, early money warning signs, practical controls that keep a parent safe, legal tools to plan for, and free helplines for families.
Read · 8 minBuyer's guide
Best scam protection for seniors in 2026: an honest guide
An honest guide to scam protection for seniors, sorted by type: free phone and Gmail tools, bank alerts, identity and money monitoring, scam-check apps.
Read · 10 minQuestions families ask.
How to protect elderly parents from phone scams: 11 settings and habits
Free carrier tools, iPhone and Android settings, a family code word and a phone-side cheat sheet. 11 ways to protect elderly parents from phone scams and texts.
Read · 7 minHow can I protect my elderly parent's money? 10 safeguards
How to protect an elderly parent's money from scams: bank alerts, a trusted contact at the bank and brokerage, view-only access, a credit freeze and a POA.
Read · 7 minPower of attorney and scams: what families should know
What a power of attorney can and can't do against scams, the four duties of an agent, signs of POA abuse, and what to ask an elder law attorney.
Read · 7 minMy dad keeps getting scammed. What can I do? A 30-day plan
A practical 30-day plan when your dad keeps getting scammed: stop the losses, lock down accounts, filter calls and email, set money guardrails and plan ahead.
Read · 8 minHow to spot a phishing email: 10 checks, with an example
How to spot a phishing email, in plain English: an annotated example, 10 simple checks for older adults, and how to report phishing in Gmail.
Read · 6 minHow to tell if a text is a scam: 10 quick checks
How to tell if a text is a scam: 10 quick checks, examples of toll, delivery and bank scam texts, and how to report scam texts to 7726 on iPhone and Android.
Read · 6 minHow to tell if an email is a scam: invoices, receipts and renewals
How to tell if an email is a scam: spot fake invoices, receipts and renewal charges, then check the real sender in Gmail using mailed-by and Show original.
Read · 7 minScam text examples: 12 common scam texts and how to spot them
12 scam text examples, from unpaid tolls and USPS redelivery to fake bank alerts and "wrong number" texts, with the red flags in each and what to do next.
Read · 7 minScam email examples: 10 common scam emails and their red flags
10 scam email examples, from Geek Squad and Norton renewals to fake PayPal invoices, account locks and e-invitations, with the red flags in each one.
Read · 7 minHow to protect parents from AI voice cloning scams
Scammers can clone a grandchild's voice from a short clip. How to set up a family code word, what your parent should say, and what the FTC, FCC and FBI advise.
Read · 6 minGot a text about an Apple Pay charge? It's a scam
Got a text about an Apple Pay charge with a number to call? It's a scam. How to check real Apple Pay activity in Wallet, what to do, and how to report it.
Read · 5 minWhat happens if you click on a scam link (toll, USPS, bank texts)?
Clicked a link in a toll, USPS or bank scam text? What can happen, and exactly what to do based on what you typed or downloaded. Calm steps, in order.
Read · 6 min
If it already happened.
- For families
My parent just got scammed. What do I do now?
Read · 7 min - Checklist
The first 24 hours after a scam: a checklist
Read · 5 min - Protect your identity
I gave a scammer my personal information. What now?
Read · 7 min - Tech support scam recovery
A scammer had remote access to the computer. What to do
Read · 6 min - Recovering money
Can you get money back after a scam? It depends how you paid
Read · 7 min - Avoid a second scam
Crypto "recovery" services are scams. Here's how to tell
Read · 5 min - Reporting
Where to report a scam, and in what order
Read · 5 min
The Night Watch · weekly
One short email a week about the scams going around
What's hitting inboxes and phones right now, what it looks like, and the one thing to tell your parents. Written in plain English.