Help a Parent or Grandparent After a Scam | CyberCare Network
CyberCare Network

A respectful family guide

Help a parent or grandparent after a scam

Start with calm support, not blame. Your first goal is to stop further contact or payment, understand what was shared, and help the person reach the real institution safely.

Check a suspicious message togetherReviewed September 27, 2026

The first 24 hours

  1. 1

    Listen and slow things down

    Say: ‘I’m glad you told me. These scams are convincing. Let’s work through the next steps together.’

  2. 2

    Make a factual timeline

    Write down the contact method, what was requested, what was paid or shared, and whether remote access was allowed.

  3. 3

    Contact the real providers

    Use official numbers for the bank, card issuer, app, email provider, or device company. Ask about fraud controls and account recovery.

Protect the relationship

  • Avoid ‘How could you believe that?’ or taking over every account without consent.
  • Use short choices and one step at a time. Fatigue and embarrassment can make recovery harder.
  • If contact is ongoing, agree on a pause while you verify together. Do not argue with the scammer or promise a refund.

Secure money, accounts, and identity

  • Contact financial providers immediately; ask about recalls, disputes, freezes, and new account numbers where appropriate.
  • Change exposed and reused passwords from a trusted device, turn on two-factor authentication, and review recovery settings.
  • Use IdentityTheft.gov if personal information is being misused. Consider credit freezes or fraud alerts through the official credit bureaus.

Reduce repeat targeting

  • Block and report the contact after evidence is saved. Scammers may return pretending to be investigators or recovery specialists.
  • Add bank and card alerts and discuss a trusted contact where the institution supports one.
  • Use a family safe word and a rule that urgent requests for money are always verified through a known number.

Official and trusted help

CyberCare links directly to primary public sources so you can verify important safety actions.

Related help

This guide is educational. It does not replace legal, financial, mental-health, protective-services, or emergency assistance.