You worry. We help, and your parent stays in charge.

An example

An example only. These are invented people, not a real client.

Susan lives in Albany. Her mother, Margaret, is in her 80s and lives alone in Poughkeepsie, about an hour away. Margaret is sharp and independent. She also now uses a smartphone, email, online banking and her doctor’s website, where she reads test results.

Susan worries. She cannot see what lands on her mother’s screen.

What is happening in this picture

Here is the scam, one step at a time. It is called the “grandparent scam.”

1. The phone rings. Margaret answers.
2. A voice that sounds like her grandchild says, “Grandma, it’s me.” They say they are in trouble. Maybe there was a car accident. Maybe they were arrested.
3. They say they need money right now.
4. They beg her not to tell anyone. They say, “Please don’t tell Mom,” or “Don’t tell Susan.” That way no one can check the story.
5. They ask for gift cards, a wire transfer, or cash that a courier will pick up at her door.

The panic and the secrecy are the trick. Margaret has no time to think and no one to ask. The caller is not her grandchild. Voices can now be copied by computer, so a voice that sounds right proves nothing.

Once Margaret hangs up and calls Susan, the scam falls apart. A single call to someone she trusts is enough. That is the point of this page: to make that call easy and normal.

The challenges, in practical terms

Scams aimed at older adults work, and they cost a lot

In 2025, people 60 and over reported about $3 billion in scam losses to the FTC.

• The “grandparent” call: “It’s me, I’m in jail, don’t tell Mom, send gift cards.”
• A fake bank “fraud department” call that talks the person into moving money “to safety.”
• A tech-support pop-up: a loud warning on the screen with a phone number to call. The person who answers asks to take control of the computer from far away, and then has access to everything on it.

They work through urgency and secrecy.

Families find out too late

Often it is weeks later, after the money is gone. The parent was embarrassed, or was told to keep it secret.

The usual fixes backfire

Taking over passwords, reading email or moving accounts feels like losing independence. It strains trust. The parent stops sharing, which leaves them more exposed.

Lockouts cut a parent off

A lost password can shut a parent out of the bank, the doctor’s website and video calls with grandchildren. The family is too far away to help in person.

Banks cannot call family without permission

Banks and brokers can ask a customer to name a “trusted contact.” This is a person the bank may call if it suspects someone is taking advantage of the customer. Most people have never filled it in.

What the solution looks like

The Family Peace-of-Mind Setup is a short plan made with your parent present. Each part answers one challenge.

What is different in the second picture

Margaret and Susan chose a family code word ahead of time. It is a word only the family knows. A trusted contact is the person Margaret picks to call when something feels wrong. Here that is Susan.

The same call comes in. This time Margaret knows what to do.

1. She hangs up.
2. She calls Susan on the number she already has.
3. She asks the caller, or a real grandchild, for the code word. A real grandchild would know it. A scammer would not.

Margaret is not being watched or managed. She is still in charge. She just has a simple plan and a person to call.

Who the client is, and how the relationships work

Your parent is our client. Everyone else is involved only because your parent says so.

Margaret sits at the center. Every line of contact starts with her yes.

What the plan looks like