Stop scams · United Kingdom · Updated 19 October 2026
Help protect your parents from scam calls
Make a plan with them, in their own words. Start with what they would like help checking, and who they want to ring when a call feels wrong.
Agree what happens before any payment
Suggest a simple pause: “I will check this and ring back.” Write the trusted contact’s name and saved number beside the phone. Try a practice conversation together, with no real money involved.
Ofcom recommends talking about scams, helping with call-blocking tools and checking with a trusted person before sending money. Review the phone’s settings together and ask the landline or mobile provider what filtering it offers. Choose settings that suit the calls your parent wants to receive.
Make family calls easier to check
Agree a private safe phrase with close family. The government’s Stop! Think Fraud phone guide recommends this check. Use our voice-clone guide to rehearse an urgent request without relying on how the caller sounds.
Keep the plan somewhere your parent chooses. Ask whether they would prefer a written note, a saved contact or a regular check-in. Make the next conversation easy to start: “We can check it together.”
Know where to check money requests
After hanging up, 159 connects callers to participating banks; phone-provider charges may apply. Keep the bank’s own number from the card as another route.
For unexpected investment or pension offers, the FCA’s ScamSmart link now leads to its current scam guidance. It recommends checking the firm and using the contact details on the FCA Firm Checker, because criminals can impersonate authorised firms. Read the FCA’s checks.
Questions people ask
What can we do together today?
Write down who to call for a second opinion, choose where to keep the note and practise ending an unexpected call.
What if my parent thinks they have been scammed?
Help them use the UK reporting guide and keep the conversation focused on the next step.