This page adapts for a senior audience the reflexes from our pillar page Digital Hygiene, completed with the traps that specifically target older people — detailed in Protecting your parents from scams. Every technical claim is sourced on the Sources page.
Never share a code received by text, even with someone who sounds legitimate
A "security" call claims a suspicious payment was just detected and asks for the code received by text to "cancel the transaction." A bank never asks for it over the phone. It's the exact same mechanism, documented by the FBI and CISA, used to hijack a messaging account: the code authorizes a new device, never "verifies" anything.
FBI (IC3) & CISA, Alert Number I-032026-PSA, March 20, 2026.Agree on a family code word for emergencies
"Grandma, I've had an accident, don't tell anyone, I need money right now." A stranger pretends to be a grandchild in distress and plays on panic and secrecy. A simple phrase, known only to the family, to ask for if someone claims to be a relative in an emergency, is enough to cut it short.
A message or call that pressures you to act "right now" is the warning sign, not the emergency itself
A fake tax agent, a fake courier with customs fees to pay by link, a fake bank fraud team: the structure is always the same — urgency, secrecy or pressure, a request for money or a code. The reflex that works every time: hang up, or don't click, and call a child or a relative before any decision.
Never call back a number after a single ring
This is the wangiri playbook: a call that rings just once tempts you to call back out of reflex — so you don't miss a loved one — and it's the callback that gets billed. The number that rang often has nothing to do with the number that picks up.
Check the "linked devices" on WhatsApp once, if you use it
A device connected to the account without its owner knowing can read messages continuously. On WhatsApp: Settings → Linked Devices. Remove anything you don't recognize — or ask a relative to check it with you once.
WhatsApp Help Center, "How to check devices linked to your account".What Egidio does for your loved ones, continuously
The reflexes above require ongoing vigilance. Egidio Family protects up to 4 people under one subscription — each installs the app on their own phone, protection applies locally, on calls and over 183 messaging apps.
Protection, not surveillance Premium
Egidio never sends the content of messages or calls to anyone — not even to you if you're protecting a parent. Detection happens on the device, not in the cloud.
Automatic blocking, with nothing to configure yourself Free
Premium-rate ranges, hidden numbers, unexpected foreign numbers: blocked from installation. No list to maintain, no decision to make on every call.
The best reflex is still the one you don't have to remember: protection that filters upstream, so human vigilance is never the only line of defense, on a tired evening.
Frequently asked questions
Why are older people targeted so much?
Not because of a lack of intelligence, but a matter of habit: a generation that grew up with the landline phone answers on reflex and trusts a voice that sounds sincere. They may live alone, without someone nearby to say "wait, let's check first" — that missing filter is exactly what scammers exploit.
Can an older parent who isn't comfortable with technology still protect themselves?
Yes — the reflexes on this page require no particular technical skill (never share a code, call a child before paying). And automatic protection like Egidio filters upstream, so the protected person doesn't have to judge every call or message themselves. The full guide →