The short answer: most AI scams are old scams with better writing and a borrowed voice, so the defense hasn't changed much. Agree on a family code word. Hang up and call back on a number you already know. Never move money because someone is rushing you, and never pay with gift cards, wire transfers, crypto or cash handed to a courier. Below are the scams your parents are most likely to see, the tells in each, a real scam check, a family plan, and what to do in the first hour if it already happened.

If you're still choosing an AI app for your mom or dad, start with What AI Should My Mom Use?. This post goes deeper on the scams.

How big is the problem?

People 60 and older reported losing $7.7 billion to the FBI in 2025, across 201,266 complaints. The average loss was $38,500, according to the FBI's 2025 Internet Crime Report. In 3,143 of those complaints, victims mentioned AI, with $352 million lost. Investment scams alone cost this age group $3.52 billion.

Texts are a big door in. People of all ages reported losing $470 million to text scams in 2024, five times more than in 2020, according to the FTC.

These are only the cases people reported, so the real numbers are higher. Your parents aren't easy targets. Scammers go where the savings are, and they're good at their jobs.

What AI changed

The FBI warned in December 2024 that criminals use AI to scam "on a larger scale" and to seem more believable. In practice, that means:

What AI didn't change is the ending. Every scam still needs your parent to act fast, keep it quiet, and pay in a way that's hard to get back.

The scams your parents are most likely to see

The family emergency call

A call from a grandchild, crying, after a car accident or an arrest. Sometimes a second person comes on as a lawyer or police officer. The FBI describes victims being told to wire money, mail cash hidden in a book, or hand cash to a courier who comes to the door, and to keep it secret. With AI, the voice can sound exactly right.

The tells: panic, secrecy ("don't tell Mom"), and cash or a courier.
What to do: hang up and call the grandchild, or their parent, on the number saved in the phone. Or ask for the family code word.

The package on hold

"Your package is on hold due to an incomplete address. Update within 12 hours." Fake delivery texts were the most reported text scam in the FTC's 2024 data. The US Postal Inspection Service says USPS won't text you unless you signed up with a tracking number, and its texts never contain a link.

The tells: a deadline, a link, and a package she wasn't expecting.
What to do: check the tracking number on the carrier's own app or site. Forward the text to 7726 and delete it.

The unpaid toll

"You have an outstanding toll balance. Pay today to avoid a late fee." The FBI logged over 2,000 complaints about these texts between early March and mid-April 2024, and the scam moves from state to state.

The tells: a small amount, a big late fee, and a link.
What to do: check the balance on the toll service's real website or phone number, never the link.

The bank's "fraud department"

A text or call says there's fraud on her account. The caller sounds calm and professional and asks for the code the bank just texted her. Or asks her to move money to a "safe" account. The FTC is blunt: anyone who says to move money to protect it is a scammer. Real banks don't ask for your verification code.

The tells: a code request, or "move your money to keep it safe."
What to do: hang up and call the number on the back of her card.

The Medicare or Social Security call

A caller says her benefits are suspended, or she's owed a refund, or there's a problem with her card. Medicare says it will never call to sell you anything or visit your home. Social Security says it will never ask for personal information by text, email or social media. It warns that scammers push for quick decisions and ask to be paid with gift cards, crypto, wire transfers or cash.

The tells: a threat to her benefits, pressure to decide now, and an unusual way to pay.
What to do: hang up and call Medicare at 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227), or Social Security's number on its website.

The friendly stranger

It starts with a "wrong number" text, or a new friend online who's kind, attentive and far away. The FTC lists "wrong number" texts that turn into romance or investment scams among the top text scams. Weeks later comes an emergency, or an investment "only a few people know about."

The tells: someone she's never met in person who needs money, or who has a sure-thing investment, often in crypto.
What to do: don't send money or crypto to anyone she hasn't met face to face. Talk it over with someone she trusts first.

The tells, all in one place

If a message has two or more of these, treat it as a scam until proven otherwise.

  1. A deadline. "Within 12 hours." "Today only." "Before your account closes."
  2. Secrecy. "Don't tell anyone." "Keep this between us."
  3. A strange way to pay. Gift cards, wire transfers, crypto, cash in the mail, a courier, or a payment app to someone she doesn't know.
  4. A request for codes, passwords or numbers. Real companies don't ask for the code they just sent.
  5. A link or phone number to use right now. The safe number is the one she already has.
  6. A deal that's too good, or a threat that's too scary.
  7. A sender or link that doesn't match. A bank's link should be the bank's real site.

A real scam check, start to finish

Here's a real scam text I checked with Ask Safely's Lookout, in the app. I removed the name and broke the link on purpose, so no one taps it.

The text: "Netflix: [name], your subscription has expired. Renew now for just $1 a month: 62jjsm4[.]eeaar[.]com"

What Lookout said (condensed):

Fake Netflix text. Don't tap the link.
How sure: Sure it's a scam.
Why: The link isn't netflix.com. The $1 deal doesn't exist. The fake deadline is there to rush you.
Do this: Delete it. Check netflix.com yourself.

Notice what makes it work: it names the warning signs and gives a safe next step. It doesn't just say "scam." Any checker you use, including a general AI app, should do the same. For many messages, the honest answer is "can't tell, here's how to check," and a good checker will say so.

Make a family plan

Do this once, at the kitchen table. It takes about 15 minutes.

  1. Pick a code word. The FBI recommends a secret word or phrase family members use to prove it's really them. Choose something that isn't on anyone's social media, and share it in person. If a call asks for money or urgent help, ask for the word.
  2. Save the real numbers. Put her bank, card company, pharmacy, doctors and each family member in her phone contacts. If a call claims to be from one of them, she hangs up and calls the saved number.
  3. Agree on a pause rule. No money moves on the same day as an unexpected call, text or email. Real emergencies survive a phone call to check.
  4. Make you the first call. Tell her you'd rather get 20 calls about fine messages than miss one bad one.
  5. Tighten social media. The FBI suggests keeping accounts private and limiting followers to people you know, so there's less voice and photo material to copy.
  6. Take away the shame. Scammers do this full time. Anyone can be fooled, and the sooner she tells someone, the more can be saved.

If it already happened: the first hour

Speed matters more than anything else here. The FTC's guide to what to do if you were scammed goes step by step by payment type. In short:

  1. Stop talking to the scammer. Don't answer more calls or texts from them.
  2. Call the bank, card company or payment app on the number on the card. Ask them to stop or reverse the payment. For a gift card, call the company that issued it, with the card number. For a wire, call the wire company. For cash sent by mail, the FTC says to call the Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455.
  3. Change any password she shared, and turn on two-step sign-in. If she let someone onto her computer, run a security scan.
  4. If she gave out her Social Security number, go to IdentityTheft.gov for a recovery plan. Then freeze her credit at all three bureaus. It's free and lasts until she lifts it: Equifax (888-298-0045), Experian (1-888-397-3742) and TransUnion (800-916-8800).
  5. Report it to the FBI at ic3.gov and to the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. For Medicare fraud, call 1-800-MEDICARE. For Social Security scams, report at oig.ssa.gov.
  6. Get support. The AARP Fraud Watch Network Helpline is free at 877-908-3360, weekdays 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern. It offers guidance, not investigation, and it helps to talk to someone who has heard it all.

How to check a message before she acts

Before she taps, pays or calls back, she can check in one of three ways.

Whatever she uses, one rule doesn't change: she never checks a link by tapping it.

FAQ

What is the grandparent scam?

A caller pretends to be a grandchild in trouble, often after an arrest or a car accident, and asks for money fast. A second person may pose as a lawyer. They ask for secrecy and payment by wire, cash in the mail, or cash handed to a courier. Hang up and call the grandchild directly.

How can you tell if a text is a scam?

Look for a deadline, a link or number to use right now, a request for codes, passwords or account numbers, and payment by gift card, wire, crypto or cash. Check whether the link really belongs to the company. When in doubt, don't tap anything. Contact the company through its app or a number you already have.

What should I do if my parent keeps falling for scams?

Start without blame; scammers do this for a living. Agree on a family code word and a pause rule: no money moves on the same day as an unexpected call or text. Save real numbers for their bank and doctors in their phone. If money is already gone, call the bank first, then report to IC3 and the FTC.

What is a family code word?

A secret word or phrase your family agrees on to prove a caller is really who they say. The FBI recommends one because scammers can clone voices. Pick something that isn't on social media, share it in person, and use it whenever a call or message asks for money or urgent help.

Can scammers clone my voice?

Yes. The FTC warns that scammers can clone a voice from a short audio clip, such as a video posted online. A cloned voice can sound like a family member in trouble. Don't trust the voice alone. Hang up, call the person back on a number you know, or ask for your family code word.

Should I forward scam texts to 7726?

Yes. The FTC says forwarding a scam text to 7726, which spells SPAM, helps your wireless carrier spot and block similar messages. For fake USPS texts, you can also email spam@uspis.gov. Then delete the text. Don't reply, even to say stop, and don't tap the link.

What should you do if you get scammed?

Act in the first hour. Call your bank, card company or payment app using the number on the card and ask them to stop or reverse the payment. Change any password you shared. If you gave out your Social Security number, go to IdentityTheft.gov and freeze your credit. Then report it at ic3.gov and ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

The plan, in one line

A code word, a call-back rule, and a pause before any money moves. That covers most of what AI can throw at your parents.

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