Help without blame
A family member may ask for help before acting, while unsure what happened, or after money or information has already been shared. A calm response makes it easier to establish the facts and take useful action.
Avoid beginning with “How could you believe that?” Scams are designed to create trust, urgency and confusion. Start with what the person saw, what they were asked to do and what may now be at risk.
Questions that clarify the situation
- How did the contact begin?
- What identity or organisation was claimed?
- What action was requested?
- Where did the link, payment or conversation lead?
- Was money, personal information, a code or device access shared?
- Is the person still in contact with the sender?
Useful family routes
If money or access may be involved
Contact the relevant bank or provider immediately through an independently checked route. Secure important accounts from a trusted device and remove unfamiliar sessions or recovery details. Preserve evidence before deleting messages.
Build habits before a crisis
Agree that unusual requests can be checked through a second channel. Discuss the difference between a displayed identity and a verified person. Make it normal to pause before payments, codes, remote access or changes to account details.
No checklist removes all risk. The aim is to make a pause and an independent check easier when a situation becomes convincing or urgent.