Five quick settings that block the most common phone and computer scams

A short, practical checklist you can apply in an afternoon to make your phone and computer much harder to scam.

Most scams succeed through pressure and confusion, not technical wizardry. A handful of settings and one good conversation can prevent the majority of them.

The checklist

  • Turn on automatic security updates for the phone and computer.
  • Enable a spam-call filter through the carrier.
  • Set up a password manager so reused passwords stop being a risk.
  • Add a trusted contact who can be called before any large payment.
  • Agree on a simple rule: no one legitimate ever asks for gift cards.

We can set all of this up with you, and a family member too if you like, and explain the “why” in plain language so it sticks.