Appendix B — Staying Safe & Getting Help

Keep this page handy. Print it and put it by the phone, or take a photo of it so it’s always with you.

It’s short on purpose. You don’t need to memorize it. You just need to know it’s here when something feels off.

Here’s the good news first: the people who try these tricks are counting on you feeling rushed and alone. When you slow down and pick up the phone to a person you trust, almost every scam falls apart. That’s the whole secret.

Never share these — with any app, any website, or anyone who calls

No real bank, agency, company, or helper needs these from you over the phone or in a chat. If someone asks, that by itself is the warning.

• Your passwords. Not the app’s, not your email’s, not any of them.
• Your bank account or card numbers.
• Your Social Security number.
• Verification or security codes — the little numbers texted to you to “confirm it’s you.” A real company will never call and ask you to read one back.
• Money to someone who calls in a hurry — especially by gift card, wire, cash, or a payment app. Urgency is the trick.

If you’re ever unsure, the answer is simple: share nothing, hang up, and call someone you trust. You can always call back. You can never un-send a code.

Slow down — being rushed is the trap

Every scam has the same engine: hurry. “Act now.” “Your account will be closed.” “Don’t tell anyone.” “There’s an emergency.”

Real help is patient. Pressure is not.

So when you feel that rush in your chest, that’s your signal. Stop. Breathe. Put the phone down for a minute. Nothing that’s truly important will fall apart because you took five minutes to check.

The “loved one in trouble” call — the voice may be fake

This is the newest trick, and it’s worth knowing about. Scammers can now copy a voice from a few seconds of video or a voicemail. The phone rings, and it sounds exactly like your grandchild, your son, your daughter — crying, scared, saying they’re in an accident or in jail and need money right now.

It is convincing. And it may not be them at all.

Here’s how you stay safe:

1. Pause. Real emergencies survive a two-minute pause. Scams don’t.
2. Hang up.
3. Call your loved one back yourself — on the number you already have saved, not any number the caller gives you. You’ll usually reach them safe at home.

Set a family code word now. Pick a simple word or question only your family would know — the name of a first pet, a silly nickname, “what did we have for Thanksgiving?” Agree on it today, at dinner or on your next call. Then if a scary call ever comes, you ask for the code word. No word, no money. It’s the easiest, kindest protection there is.

Real banks, agencies, and Apple never do this

Print this line on your heart: a real company will never call you and demand gift cards, codes, or immediate payment.

• Your bank will never call and ask for your password, your full card number, or a code they texted you.
• The IRS, Social Security, and Medicare do not call to threaten arrest or demand payment by gift card. They send letters.
• Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft do not call to say your account or computer has a problem and you must pay to fix it.
• The police do not call asking for bail money in gift cards.

If a caller claims to be any of these and starts asking for money or codes — it’s a scam. Every time. Hang up with a clear conscience. You owe a scammer nothing, not even politeness.

When it really matters, double-check with a real person

Your helper on the phone is wonderful for everyday things — explaining a letter, writing a note, telling you what a plant is. It’s a bright, patient starting point.

But it is not the last word on the things that matter most.

For anything about your health, your legal affairs, or your money, treat the app’s answer as a helpful first look — then confirm it with a real professional: your doctor, your pharmacist, your lawyer, your bank, your accountant. They know you and your situation. The app doesn’t.

There’s no shame in checking. Careful people check. That’s why they stay safe.

Who to call for a real, live person

You are never on your own with this. When something feels wrong, reach a human:

• Your family. A son, daughter, grandchild, or trusted friend. “Can you look at this with me?” is a complete and wise sentence.
• Your bank — using the phone number printed on the back of your card, not a number from a caller or a text.
• The Apple Store or your phone company, for anything about the phone itself. Walk in, or call the number on their real website.
• Your local library. Many libraries offer free, friendly classes on phones and avoiding scams. Ask at the desk.
• In the U.S., report a scam to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. It’s quick, it’s free, and it helps protect other people too.

Asking for help isn’t a weakness. It’s the smartest move on the board.

You did it

You’ve now seen every trick they use — the fake urgency, the copied voice, the “act now or else.” Knowing them is what defeats them. You are harder to fool than you were an hour ago, and that never fades.

Stay curious, stay unhurried, and lean on the people who love you. “In an abundance of counselors there is safety” (Proverbs 11:14, ESV) — and you have more counselors than you think.

Keep this card close. You’ve got this.