Digital safety does not mean turning parents or grandparents into cybersecurity experts. It means giving them simple rules, time to verify, and a trusted family contact whenever something feels wrong.

Scams can arrive by phone, text message, email or messaging apps. The safest response to unexpected urgency is usually to stop, verify independently and never share sensitive information simply because a caller sounds convincing.

The golden rule: hang up and verify.

If a call or message asks for money, personal information, security codes or immediate action, stop. Contact the person, bank or organisation yourself using a number you already trust.

1. Calls pretending to be banks, companies or public services

Voice phishing, often called vishing, uses phone calls to impersonate trusted organisations or people. A caller knowing your name or some personal details does not prove that the call is genuine.

2. Fake care and support services

Scammers may exploit services associated with safety and care because they already have the victim's trust. Never provide banking or identity details during an unexpected call. End the call and contact the real service through its established number.

3. WhatsApp, text messages and the “new number” scam

A message may claim to be from a child, grandchild, bank or delivery company. Urgency is a common ingredient: a request for money, a changed phone number, a blocked account or a link that supposedly needs immediate action.

Verify the person's identity through another channel before sending money or information.

4. AI voice cloning

A familiar voice is no longer enough to prove identity. Artificial intelligence can be used to imitate voices and make an invented emergency sound frighteningly real.

Create a family safe word.

Agree on a word or question known only to close family members. Use it as an additional check during an unexpected emergency, then call the person's normal number yourself.

5. Information not to give to an unexpected caller

Passwords, one-time security codes, PINs, full card details and online-banking credentials should never be disclosed simply because somebody calls or messages asking for them. If the caller claims to be your bank, end the call and use the bank's official app or a trusted number.

6. Make a phone or tablet easier to use safely

Remove unnecessary apps, enable updates, use a screen lock, review permissions and reduce confusing notifications. Keeping trusted family contacts easy to find can also make independent verification much easier.

See our guide to choosing and setting up a tablet for an older person.

7. Safety without taking away independence

Protection should not mean removing autonomy. A few family rules work better: never pay under pressure, never share security codes, hang up when unsure, and check with someone you trust before continuing.

8. What if something has already happened?

Stop contact, keep evidence such as messages and phone numbers, change any credentials that may have been exposed and contact the bank immediately if financial information or transactions are involved. Report suspected fraud through the appropriate official cybercrime or police channels in your country.

9. Fewer unknown contacts can mean fewer difficult decisions

One of the ideas behind Mamá Lola is to create a pre-authorised family circle for everyday communication, rather than asking a vulnerable user to decide repeatedly whether an unfamiliar contact can be trusted.

That does not replace good security habits, but it can make the digital environment simpler and more predictable.

You can also read our guide to digital scams targeting older people.

Simpler. Familiar. More protected.

Mamá Lola is being designed to help the people we care about communicate inside an easy-to-use, family-authorised environment.

Discover Mamá Lola