Routine

The 15-minute monthly scam-safety check

A family scam-defense plan should not depend on memory. Review it monthly so the safer response feels ordinary.

The agenda

• Confirm the family safe word.
• Check trusted phone numbers.
• Ask whether anyone received strange calls, texts, emails, or popups.
• Review bank or card alerts.
• Update one privacy setting or account-security item.
• Choose the next review date.

Keep it calm

This should feel like checking smoke-detector batteries, not holding a family investigation. Short, predictable, and respectful is better than dramatic.

Script to use

"This is our monthly safety check, not a lecture. Did anything feel suspicious this month, and do we need to update any numbers or rules?"

Make it repeatable

Put the next check on the calendar before you finish. A short monthly review keeps the safe word, trusted numbers, and payment rules fresh before the next suspicious message arrives.