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Spot the scam: a ten-slide group talk
Updated 20 October 2026
Read each slide aloud. Speaker notes are underneath. Quiz answers are on the next slide after each group of messages. Print one slide per Letter page, or read on screen. Give everyone the free attendee handout.
1 / 10 · Updated 20 October 2026
Spot the scam
A group talk for families and neighbors.
Why target older adults?
A scammer may be after savings built over a lifetime. A caller may pretend to be a relative, a bank or Medicare to make a money request feel familiar.
Anyone can be targeted. Being scammed is not a reason for shame. Our shared plan: pause, hang up and check.
2 / 10 · Updated 20 October 2026
Five lines scammers use
- urgency: “Act now or lose your chance.”
- secrecy: “Do not tell your family.”
- an unusual payment: “Buy gift cards or send crypto.”
- a fake authority: “I am from your bank or the government.”
- a link or callback number: “Use only the details I give you.”
One warning sign is enough to pause. Some scams use none of these lines. A calm message can still be a scam.
3 / 10 · Updated 20 October 2026
A familiar voice is not proof
AI voice-clone tools can imitate a relative. You do not have to decide whether the voice is real.
- Pause an unexpected emergency money request.
- Ask for the private family code word. Do not reveal it.
- Hang up. Call the relative on a saved number. Try another trusted person if they do not answer.
Our family code word: ________________
A code word is an extra check. Still make the independent callback.
4 / 10 · Updated 20 October 2026
Quiz 1: the toll text
All five quiz messages in this talk are fictional, written for practice.
“Road payment notice: You owe a toll fee. Pay through this link tonight or we will add a penalty. Reply now to open the payment page.”
What makes you pause? What would you do next?
Take a moment before moving to the answer on the next slide.
5 / 10 · Updated 20 October 2026
Answer 1: check the toll yourself
The deadline and supplied payment link are warning signs.
Do not tap or reply. Go to the toll agency’s official website yourself, or use a number from a statement you already have. Check whether anything is actually owed.
Forward a scam text to 7726, then report and block it in your messaging app. Do not use the message’s contact details to verify it.
6 / 10 · Updated 20 October 2026
Quiz 2 and 3: two urgent calls
“Grandma, it is your grandson. I am in jail. Please wire bail money now. Do not tell Mom. Someone will call you with the payment instructions.”
“This is your bank’s security team. Your account is under attack. Move your balance into our safe account now. Stay on the phone while I guide you.”
What would you check before sending any money?
7 / 10 · Updated 20 October 2026
Answers 2 and 3: hang up
2. The grandson story
Urgency, secrecy and a wire request are warning signs. Ask for your code word without giving it away. Hang up and call your relative on a saved number. Check with another trusted person if needed.
3. The “safe account” story
Do not transfer money to protect it on a caller’s instruction. Hang up. Call your bank using the number on your card or its official website.
8 / 10 · Updated 20 October 2026
Quiz 4 and 5: cards and refunds
“I am calling from Medicare. Your card will stop working today. Read me your Medicare number and bank details so I can send the replacement.”
“I sent you money on Zelle by mistake. Please send it straight back to this other number. I need it right now.”
What information or payment should you hold back? Who would you contact yourself?
9 / 10 · Updated 20 October 2026
Answers 4 and 5: verify independently
4. The Medicare card call
Do not share your Medicare number, bank details, passwords or codes with the unexpected caller. Hang up. Use the number on your Medicare card or the official Medicare website to check.
5. The Zelle “mistake”
Do not send a new payment yourself. Contact your bank through its app or a known number. Ask it to investigate. A screenshot or text does not prove money arrived.
10 / 10 · Updated 20 October 2026
If you already paid
- Contact your bank or payment provider now using a known number. Say it was fraud. Ask whether the payment can be stopped or reversed.
- Keep receipts and messages. Change exposed passwords through the official app or website. Never share one-time codes with a caller.
- Report at reportfraud.ftc.gov. Forward scam texts to 7726. Report internet fraud at ic3.gov.
Do not pay a “recovery” caller. Tell someone you trust. Recovery is not guaranteed. Call 911 for immediate danger.
Sources: FTC: phone scams · FTC: recovery · FBI: AI fraud · CFPB: older adults and fraud.
