Do these four things first
Start on a phone or computer that was not part of the scam. Leave a device that feels wrong turned off until someone you trust has looked at it.
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Turn off the device that was used
If that phone or computer was part of the scam, or it is acting strange, shut it down. Do not use it to open email or the bank.
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Call your bank from a different phone
Use the number on the back of your card, or look the bank up yourself. Do not call a number the scammer sent. Ask the bank to cancel the cards. If money already left the account, ask them to give you a new account number.
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Change the email password before the bank
On a device you trust, change the password for the email tied to the scam. That inbox is how someone resets your bank and other accounts. Then change the bank password, and the password on every other account that uses that email.
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Add a second lock on email and the bank
Turn on a sign-in code. The bank or email can text a code, or an app on your phone can make a new code each time you sign in. A stolen password is then not enough to get in.
Protecting seniors
A family member can limit what a parent or grandparent can install, buy, and see. They keep the phone. You keep the approval.
Apple and Google call these parental controls. They are not only for children. The same switches protect a senior and save a lot of frustration when a strange app, website, or text shows up.
iPhone
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Put a family member in charge
Apple’s guide says “your child.” Use it for the senior. They need their own Apple account, not a shared one. From the family member’s iPhone, open Settings, then Family. That is where you approve apps, websites, and who can contact them.
See Apple’s pictures -
Block websites, apps, and movies you do not want
On the iPhone, open Settings, then Screen Time, then Content & Privacy Restrictions. Turn it on. You can block adult websites and limit movies, music, and apps. Leave Siri and other advanced settings alone.
See Apple’s pictures -
Lock those settings with a different code
A Screen Time passcode is not the code that unlocks the phone. It stops someone from turning the limits off. The family member sets this four-digit code and keeps it. Open Settings, then Screen Time, then Lock Screen Time Settings.
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Make new apps wait for a yes
This is called Ask to Buy. When the senior wants a new app or a purchase inside an app, the family member gets a message and can say yes or no. On the family member’s iPhone, open Settings, then Family, tap the senior’s name, then turn on Ask to Buy.
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Hide texts from people they do not know
Open Messages, tap Filters, then Manage Filtering, and turn on Screen Unknown Senders. Older phones may say Filter Unknown Senders. Texts from numbers that are not saved go to a separate list. Known people, and codes from the bank, can still come through.
See Apple’s pictures
Android
Google also says “your child.” Use the same tools for a parent or grandparent. Menu names can look a little different on Samsung, Pixel, and other phones.
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Put a family member in charge
Install the free Google Family Link app on both phones. Make the family member the manager. They can approve app downloads and purchases, block apps, set a daily time limit, and set quiet hours.
See Google’s guide -
Only allow apps from the Play Store
Open the Play Store, tap the profile picture, then Play Protect settings, and leave “Scan apps with Play Protect” on. It is usually already on. Also turn off installs from outside the Play Store. In Family Link, the family member can turn off “Allow apps from unknown sources” so a text or website cannot add an app.
See Google’s guide -
Let the phone update itself
Most security fixes install on their own. To check, open Settings, then System, then Software updates. Connect to Wi-Fi first. If you do not see those exact words, look for Software update or System update.
See Google’s guide
See if an email leaked, then keep watching
A free check looks once. A yearly plan keeps looking after that.
See if an email already showed up in a leak
Type an email address. Coveron checks known leak lists and tells you if that address was exposed. It does not fix the account. If the email shows up, change that password.
Check an emailChoose the yearly plan, not month to month
The yearly Coveron plan keeps watching after the free check. It tells you if your information shows up in a new leak. It watches credit for new accounts you did not open. If a scam or identity theft happens, the plan includes people who help and insurance that can cover some of the cost. Larger yearly plans cover a partner or a family, and some include protection for phones and computers.
Coverage has limits and is not sold in every state. The details are on Coveron’s pricing page.
See yearly plans