When a scam email lands in Mom’s inbox.
A scam email in a parent’s inbox is a family problem, not a tech problem. Here is what it looks like — and what to do in 30 seconds.
What it looks like
Scam mail to a parent usually pretends to be one of three senders — and it always wants the same thing: a click, a reply, or a number.
- “Medicare”: “Your Medicare coverage is suspended” or “Verify your benefits to keep coverage.” Real Medicare does not ask you to verify coverage by email, and it does not suspend benefits over an email you did not answer.
- “Tech support”: “Your computer is infected” or “Your account will be locked.” It gives you a phone number to call or a link to click to “fix” it. The number goes to the scammer, not to the company.
- “Your bank”: “Unusual activity on your account” or “Confirm your account to avoid closure.” It links to a page that looks like the bank’s login and asks for the full account number, password, or a code.
What they have in common: urgency (“act now or lose it”), a link or phone number that did not come from the real organization, and a request for something secret — a password, a full account number, or a verification code.
The three steps
- Don’t click. Don’t click links or buttons in the email, don’t call a phone number printed in it, and don’t download an attachment. If you are worried the message might be real, go to the organization yourself: type its web address in, or call a number you already have — on a card, a bill, or the organization’s own site.
- Don’t reply. Replying tells the sender the address is live and read, and it starts a conversation the scammer controls. Do not send anything back — and never send a password or a full number to “verify” anything. No real organization asks for those by email.
- Flag it in the app. Flag the message in the shared Family Inbox so every sibling sees the warning, not just the one who opened it first. One flag means nobody else in the family has to work out from scratch whether the email is real.
Keep passwords and full numbers offline
LovedOne is for coordination — where a document is, who holds it, and what arrived. Do not type passwords, full account numbers, or Social Security numbers into LovedOne. Keep those offline, in your password manager or paper binder, and use LovedOne to record where they are kept, not what they are.
That rule is also the scam test: anyone asking you to send a password or a full number by email to “verify” something is not who they claim to be.
What this page is not
- Not a list of every scam. New wordings appear constantly; the three steps above are the same whatever the wording says.
- Not legal, medical, or financial advice. If money has already moved, or a password or full number was already sent, contact the bank or organization directly on a number you already have — and tell the rest of the family in the shared inbox.
- Not a paid feature. The free shared Family Inbox is available today.
Get your family’s inbox (free) — no paid family tier yet.