Protect your Parents from Modern Day Scams

*This is a collaborative post

Growing up in a digital world, I’m only too aware of the phishing scams that can be a risk to our data. I’d like to think I can spot them a mile off – the misspelt company names, blatant typos, strange email addresses, or the tell-tale ‘click here to confirm your personal details’ calls to action. But with advancements in AI, am I confident that I won’t ever be fooled? Honestly? I’m not.

For our parents, the risks and associated losses are even higher. Recent research conducted by Chums found that thousands of people are affected by scams every year. There were over 3,000 cases of online fraud in 2024, with 61% of those over 65 reporting that they had been a target, according to Independent Age. With one in three over-65s lacking basic internet skills, according to Age UK research, it’s not surprising that this leaves them vulnerable to digital crime attempts. 

If you’re keen to prevent your family from being the victim of digital scams, here’s a summary of the main types of scams and how to spot them #protectyourpounds

Phishing scams

Phishing scams are designed to encourage recipients to click on links, whether in an email or text message. They often impersonate professional organisations, such as banks, and trick recipients into entering their personal information or opening a link. Remind your parents that they should never enter their personal details or open a link from communications they weren’t expecting. If in doubt, call the bank to double-check. An unexpected text message or email, a competition win from a competition you don’t remember entering or social media links in strange messages, even from friends, are always worth questioning. The most common ones I have seen are hacked Facebook messages from friends saying I’m in a video or text messages claiming to be from my daughter, who’s lost her phone. 

AI-powered scams

With new technology, deepfakes are a genuine concern, as AI-generated footage can be incredibly realistic. According to Natwest, deepfake celebrity endorsement videos were one of the fastest-growing scams of 2024, the hardest to spot.

While it’s hard to remove this risk, reminding your parents to question ‘Is this likely to be real? Is it asking for personal information? It is always good practice. Look for robotic voices, odd mannerisms, or something that just feels off. In case of impersonating people you know, you could agree on a safe word that confirms the video is real and not just AI-generated. 

Fake e-shops

I’ve seen this happen so often in recent months – usually on Facebook and Instagram. Appearing to be a popular retailer, offering 80% discounts, they are actually a completely different site. In many cases, they won’t receive anything for their hard-earned money, or in some cases, they will receive counterfeit goods, a far cry from the product they thought they were ordering. 

Remind them that if an offer is too good to be true, they should question it before parting with their money. Check the URL of the site to ensure it matches the official retailer’s URL. 

How to report a scam

If your family member is a victim of fraud, it’s essential to report it. Encourage your family member to forward any suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk and suspicious text messages to 7726 (at no charge).

Please share this with your family to make them aware. You can view the complete research and other scam risks in the comprehensive Chums report here.