Money and rights · 10 min
The pause before you pay
Scams work by hurrying you. One simple rule, hang up and call back on a number you know, protects you and the people you care for.
Scam calls and messages can be very convincing. They may know your name, sound like your bank, or seem to come from a family member in trouble. What they almost always have in common is pressure: act now, do not tell anyone. The best protection is a pause.
The steps
Four small steps,in your own time.
Make one rule for yourself and your household: we never pay, move money or share codes on a call or message we did not expect.
If someone asks, say: I will call you back. Hang up, wait a few minutes, and call the company or service back on a number you find yourself, from a card, a statement or their official website.
If a message seems to come from a family member asking for money, call them on their usual number before doing anything.
Write the rule on a card by the phone, and talk it through with an older relative or anyone you care for who may be targeted.
The reason
Why it helps
Scammers rely on urgency and panic to stop people thinking clearly. A pause breaks that pressure. Calling back on a number you know means you are speaking to the real company or service, not to whoever contacted you. A genuine bank or official service will never mind you checking.
A gentle variation
If you care for an older parent, agree a family code word that anyone asking for money in an emergency must use. Some people also ask their bank about extra protections, such as limits or a trusted contact on the account.
WE · TRIBE
Try itwith someone.
Read a few examples of common scams together with someone you care for, and practise saying: I will call you back. Saying it out loud once makes it easier to say when it matters.
Try it today
Today, write we never pay on a call we did not expect on a card and put it by the phone.
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