Tech help for older adults, with scam protection built in.

We help with phones, tablets, computers, Wi-Fi, email, video calls, your doctor’s website and more, one to one and at your pace. Older adults pay much less, and some help is free for those who need it. We agree the details with you in a written plan before any visit.

Scams are getting harder to spot. Here is how to stay safe.

Scammers pretend to be helpers. We never call you first. If someone calls and says they are from Technology Assist, and you did not ask them to, hang up.

Five rules that stop most scams

1. Real banks, Medicare, the IRS and tech companies do not call and demand money or gift cards. If a caller does, it is a scam. No real company is paid in gift cards.
2. Stop. Hang up. Call back on a number you already trust, such as the one on the back of your bank card. Do not use a number the caller gives you.
3. Do not click links in texts or emails you did not expect. A link can take you to a fake website that steals your password. If you are unsure, do not click. Call the company instead.
4. Never let a stranger take control of your computer. If someone asks you to install a program so they can “fix” it, they can see and take everything on it.
5. Talk to someone you trust before you pay anyone. Scammers want you to keep it secret. A short chat with a family member or friend can stop it.

Open the printable scam card for your phone

Common scams

• Tech-support pop-up or call. A loud warning on your screen with a phone number, or a call saying your computer has a problem. It is fake. Do not call the number. Turn the computer off if you are unsure.
• A grandchild in trouble. A call saying a loved one needs money now. Voices can now be copied by computer, so a voice that sounds right proves nothing. Agree a family code word that only your family knows, and ask for it.
• A package or a charge. A text or email about a delivery you missed or a charge you do not recognize. It looks like it is from a company you know. Do not tap the link. Look up the company yourself and call.
• The bank’s “fraud department”. A call saying your account is in danger and asking you to move your money to keep it safe. A real bank never asks you to do that. Hang up and call the number on your card.
• Romance and investment offers. A new friend online who asks for money, or a sure thing that cannot lose. No investment is a sure thing. Never send money to someone you have not met in person.
• A contractor at the door. Someone who says they noticed a problem and wants payment now. Do not pay at the door. Say you will call back, and ask a family member or neighbor to check.

If something already happened

1. Call your bank now, using the number on your card. Tell them what happened. They may be able to stop the payment or watch the account.
2. Change the password for that account, and for any other account that uses the same password.
3. Report it at reportfraud.ftc.gov. This is the government’s site for reporting fraud. Reports help catch scammers.
4. Call the AARP Fraud Watch Network free helpline. Trained people will listen and tell you what to do next.
5. Tell someone you trust. Do not carry it alone. Scammers count on you feeling too embarrassed to tell anyone.

You are not foolish. These scams fool smart people every day.

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

How we can help

Every visit includes safety. The Scam & Fraud Check-up looks at how scams reach you by phone, text, email and mail. We then change your phone and email settings so fewer of them get through. Device & Account Setup sets up your phone or computer and makes your online accounts, like email and banking, harder for a stranger to get into. We never say we can stop every scam. We help you lower the risk.

See how we help