How to Spot and Avoid Scam Calls, Texts, and Emails
Scammers target older adults because older adults often have savings, a habit of trusting authority figures, and grandchildren they care about. The good news: almost every scam has one or two unmistakable red flags. You don't need to memorise the dozens of specific scams making the rounds — you need to recognise the patterns. This guide gives you eight patterns to look for, the six scams currently most common in the United States, and a calm, clear plan for what to do when you see one.
The eight red flags
- Urgency. "You must act in the next 30 minutes or your account will be frozen." Legitimate organisations don't operate that way.
- Secrecy. "Don't tell your bank what this is for." Or "don't tell anyone in your family." Anyone telling you to keep a transaction secret is stealing from you.
- Unusual payment method. Gift cards (Apple, Target, Amazon), wire transfer, cryptocurrency, or cashier's check sent in the mail. No legitimate creditor — not the IRS, not Medicare, not your utility company — accepts these.
- Threat of arrest, deportation, or licence revocation. Police don't call ahead to warn you they're about to arrest you.
- Offer that's too good. Lottery wins you didn't enter. Sweepstakes "you've already won." Inheritance from a relative you've never met.
- Familiar voice acting strange. A grandchild calling from jail, sounding muffled, asking for help and to "please don't tell mom." This is now the most common scam targeting US seniors.
- Request for remote access to your computer or phone. "Let me show you the problem — install this app." Never.
- Pressure to take a call private. "Step into another room so we can speak alone." Scammers want you isolated from the family members who would push back.
Six scams happening right now
1. The grandchild emergency. A frantic voice — possibly AI-generated to sound like an actual grandchild — calls from "jail" or "the hospital" and needs cash via gift cards. The defence: Always call the family member back at the number you already have for them. Never use the number on the incoming call.
2. The fake delivery text. "USPS / FedEx: your package is held — pay $2.99 reshipping fee." Tapping the link takes you to a fake page that captures your credit card. The defence: Real carriers don't ask for reshipping fees by text.
3. The "your account is compromised" call. Someone claiming to be from your bank, Microsoft, Apple, or Amazon says fraudsters are inside your account and instructs you to move money to a "safe account." The defence: Hang up. Call your bank using the number on the back of your card.
4. The IRS / Social Security threat. "Your social security number has been suspended; press 1 to speak to an agent." Pressing 1 connects you to a scammer who demands payment. The defence: Social Security numbers cannot be "suspended." The IRS communicates by paper mail. Hang up.
5. The romance scam. A new online friend on Facebook, Words With Friends, or a dating site builds a relationship over weeks, then asks for money for an emergency abroad. The defence: No one who has never met you in person should be asking you for money.
6. The tech-support pop-up. A web page or app pops up an alert: "Your computer is infected — call Microsoft Support immediately." The defence: Microsoft doesn't show pop-ups in browsers. Close the browser. If the pop-up won't close, restart the phone.
What to do when a suspicious call comes in
- Don't answer numbers you don't recognise. If it's real, they'll leave a voicemail.
- If you answer and the call feels off, hang up. You don't owe anyone a polite goodbye.
- If the call is supposedly from a place you do business with (bank, doctor, government): hang up, find the official number from your card, the back of your insurance card, or the official website, and call them back.
- Block the number afterwards. iPhone: open the call in Recents → tap the "i" → Block this Caller. Android: open Recents → long-press → Block.
What to do with a suspicious text
Don't tap any link. Don't reply "STOP" — that confirms your number is live. On iPhone, swipe left on the message → Trash. On Android, long-press → Block & report spam.
Forward genuine spam texts to 7726 (which spells SPAM). Your carrier will investigate.
What to do with a suspicious email
Hover the sender name to see the actual address it came from. "PayPal Security" sent from "service-billing@random-domain.xyz" is fake. Don't click links inside the email — if you want to check whether a real PayPal account issue exists, open a fresh browser and type paypal.com directly.
Report the email as phishing using the menu in Gmail or Mail, then delete it.
Phone settings that reduce scam calls
- Silence Unknown Callers (iPhone): Settings → Apps → Phone → Silence Unknown Callers → On. Calls from numbers not in your contacts go straight to voicemail.
- Spam protection (Android): Phone app → tap three-dot menu → Settings → Caller ID & spam → turn on. Suspected spam calls are flagged or silenced.
- Carrier spam filter: Verizon Call Filter, AT&T Active Armor, T-Mobile Scam Shield — all free with major US carriers. Install the carrier app or call them to enable.
- Add yourself to the National Do Not Call Registry at donotcall.gov. Won't stop scammers (they ignore the registry) but will reduce legitimate telemarketing.
Print-and-keep wallet card
1. URGENCY — "act now or else"
2. SECRECY — "don't tell anyone"
3. GIFT CARDS or wire transfer — never legitimate
4. THREATS — police, IRS, deportation
5. "TOO GOOD" — lottery, sweepstakes
6. FAMILIAR VOICE — call them back at a known number
7. REMOTE ACCESS to phone/computer — never
8. PRESSURE to keep call private
When in doubt: hang up, write down what they said, call your bank or your adult child before doing anything.
Frequently asked questions
The caller knew my name and address. Doesn't that mean it's real?
No. Your name and address are public record. Real banks know your name and address — they don't need to use them as a credential.
Can I trust caller ID?
Not anymore. Scammers routinely "spoof" caller ID to display a familiar number — even your own bank's. The number on the screen tells you nothing about who is actually calling.
The caller said I'd be arrested if I hung up.
No real police force calls ahead. Hang up. If you remain worried, call your local police department's non-emergency line and describe the call.
I'm worried I'll insult someone real.
If a call is genuine, the caller will leave a voicemail explaining who they are. Real organisations don't take offence when a customer says "I'd like to verify this is real — what's the number on file I can call you back at?"
What's the best way to teach this to my parent?
Print the wallet card above. Walk through one current example together. Then run a roleplay — "the IRS is calling, what do you say?" Practice beats theory.
Written by David Chen. Last verified 12 June 2026.