How to Protect Your Parents from Online Scams

My mum nearly gave remote access to her computer to someone claiming to be from Telstra last year. They called on a Tuesday afternoon, said her internet connection was "compromised" and they needed to run a diagnostic. She was halfway through downloading TeamViewer when she thought to call me first. When I told her it was a scam, she was embarrassed. She shouldn't have been, these people are professionals at manipulation, and my mum is one of the smartest people I know.

This guide is for anyone who wants to help an older family member stay safe online. I'll cover the scams that target them most, practical protections you can set up on their devices, and how to have the conversation without being patronising.

The Scams That Target Older Adults Most

Tech support scams are perhaps the most common. A pop-up appears saying their computer is infected, or someone calls claiming to be from Microsoft or Apple. The scammer gets remote access to their computer and either installs malware, steals personal information, or charges hundreds of dollars for unnecessary "repairs." These scams work because older adults are often less confident about technology and more likely to defer to a perceived authority figure.

Government impersonation scams involve calls or emails pretending to be from the ATO, Centrelink, Medicare, or myGov. They threaten arrest, benefit suspension, or legal action. Older Australians who depend on the Age Pension or Medicare are naturally more worried about losing these benefits, making them vulnerable to these threats. The scammers know this. They target retirees deliberately.

The grandparent scam is especially cruel. Someone calls pretending to be a grandchild in distress, they've been arrested, they're in the hospital, they've been in an accident abroad. They urgently need money (wire transfer or gift cards) and beg the grandparent not to tell anyone else in the family. The emotional panic overrides logical thinking.

Romance scams increasingly target older adults, especially those who are widowed or divorced. Scammers build relationships on Facebook, dating sites, or even through church communities, then eventually ask for money for emergencies, travel, or business problems.

Fake shopping deals on Facebook and other social media platforms advertise products at impossibly low prices. Older adults who are newer to online shopping may not recognise the signs of a scam store. I cannot stress this enough, the fact that Facebook continues to allow scam ads targeting vulnerable people, including seniors, despite billions in revenue and the technology to detect them, is an ongoing disgrace that causes real financial and emotional harm to families across Australia every single day.

Practical Protections You Can Set Up

The next time you visit your parents, spend an hour setting up these protections on their devices. These are background safeguards that work without requiring them to remember complex rules.

Enable spam call filtering. On iPhone, go to Settings > Phone > Silence Unknown Callers. On Android, open the Phone app > Settings > Caller ID & spam > Filter spam calls. This automatically silences calls from numbers not in their contacts, cutting off the majority of scam calls.

Install an ad blocker in their browser. Many scam pop-ups ("your computer is infected!") come through malicious ads. An ad blocker like uBlock Origin eliminates most of them. Install it and they'll never notice it's there.

Turn on automatic updates. Make sure their phone, computer, and browser are set to update automatically. This ensures they always have the latest security patches without needing to do anything.

Set up two-factor authentication on their email and banking accounts. Their email is the most critical account to protect because it's used to reset passwords for everything else. Use an authenticator app if they're comfortable with it, or SMS if that's easier for them.

Bookmark important sites. Create bookmarks for their bank, email, and other frequently used sites. Tell them to always use these bookmarks instead of clicking links in emails. This one habit defeats most phishing attacks.

Set up a password manager. Even a simple one like the built-in browser password manager is better than reusing the same password everywhere. Help them set up a strong master password they can remember.

Teaching the Key Red Flags

Rather than overwhelming them with information, focus on these three rules that cover the vast majority of scams:

Rule 1: "Nobody legitimate will rush you." If anyone, on the phone, in an email, or in a pop-up, says you must act immediately or face consequences, it's a scam. Real companies, banks, and government agencies give you time. Teach them to hang up or close the message and call you if they're unsure.

Rule 2: "Never give money to someone who contacted you." If they didn't initiate the contact, they should never send money, buy gift cards, or share financial information. This applies to phone calls, emails, texts, and social media messages.

Rule 3: "When in doubt, call [you]." Make yourself the first call when something seems off. Tell them explicitly that you'd rather get 10 false alarms than have them fall for one scam. Make sure they have your number easily accessible.

How to Have the Conversation

The biggest barrier isn't technical, it's emotional. Many older adults feel embarrassed about not understanding technology, defensive when they feel talked down to, or reluctant to admit vulnerability. Here's how to approach it:

Lead with your own experience. Say "I almost fell for a scam last week" or "my friend lost money to a phishing email." This frames scams as a universal problem, not something only gullible people fall for.

Share specific examples. Show them real scam texts and emails you've received. Walk through what makes them suspicious. This is much more effective than abstract warnings.

Establish a family code word. Agree on a secret word that family members can use to verify identity over the phone. If someone calls claiming to be a grandchild in trouble, the grandparent can ask for the code word. This directly defeats grandparent scams.

Make it a conversation, not a lecture. Ask about their experiences. They may have already encountered scams. Listening builds trust and helps you understand which specific threats they're most exposed to.

Check in regularly. A single conversation isn't enough. Ask casually during calls: "Gotten any weird texts lately?" or "Any strange pop-ups on your computer?" This normalizes talking about it and keeps awareness fresh.

If They've Already Been Scammed

If your parent or grandparent has already fallen victim to a scam, your reaction matters enormously. Don't blame them or express frustration, they already feel terrible. Respond with support, not judgement. Help them contact their bank immediately if money was involved. Assist with changing compromised passwords and setting up new protections. In Australia, report the scam together to Scamwatch (scamwatch.gov.au) and contact IDCARE (idcare.org) for free identity and cyber support. If significant money was lost, consider consulting a lawyer, especially if elder fraud laws apply. Then gently help put protections in place to prevent it from happening again.

Remember: scams are designed by professionals to manipulate people. Falling for one is not a character failure, it's a consequence of increasingly sophisticated criminal operations.

Frequently Asked Questions

What I Did for My Mum

After the Telstra scare, I spent an hour at her place setting up an ad blocker, enabling spam call filtering on her iPhone, bookmarking her bank and myGov, and turning on two-factor authentication for her email. I told her three things: nobody legitimate will rush you, never give money to someone who contacted you first, and call me anytime something feels off, even if it turns out to be nothing. She's called me twice since then about suspicious texts. Both were scams. Both got deleted. That's exactly how it should work.