Protect a parent's computer from scams: a holiday checklist
A 20-minute checklist for a holiday visit: remove unused remote apps, agree on one rule about connections, and keep the bank's real number by the PC.
The most useful thing you can do on a visit takes about 20 minutes: agree on one rule ("we never let anyone connect to the computer"), write the bank's real number by the PC, and remove any remote access apps they don't use. Here's the full list.
Talk first, then touch the computer
Start with a story, not a warning. Ask if they've ever had a pop-up or call saying the computer was infected. Many people have and never mentioned it. Agree on a simple rule together: if anyone asks to connect to the computer or to move money, hang up and call you.
The 20-minute checklist
- Remote apps. Open Settings, then Apps, then Installed apps (Apps & features on Windows 10). Remove AnyDesk, TeamViewer, ScreenConnect or similar if they don't use them.
- Updates. Open Settings, then Windows Update, and install what's waiting.
- Antivirus. Check that Windows Security (or their antivirus) is on.
- Browser. Remove extensions they don't recognize. Set the home page to something simple.
- Phone numbers. Tape a card by the PC with the bank's number from the back of the card and your number.
- Email. Make sure the email account has a strong password and a recovery phone that's theirs or yours.
- Bookmark our two-minute checklist, the step-by-step list for "someone might be scamming me right now".
If you live far away
You can still help between visits. Set a regular time to call and ask about anything odd on the computer that week. Make sure your parent has your number written down, not only saved in a phone. If they use a bank that offers account alerts, help them turn on alerts for large withdrawals and new payees, so a problem shows up sooner. And tell them plainly that calling you is never a bother, even at night.
What to say if a scam call comes in
Practice one short line together, so it's ready when it's needed: "I don't do anything on my computer over the phone. I'll call you back." Then they hang up and call you, or call the bank using the number on the back of the card. It helps to agree that you'll never be upset about a false alarm. A parent who worries about bothering you is more likely to keep talking to the caller. If they already gave someone access or money, the steps below still apply, and acting quickly makes a real difference.
Why remote access matters most
Tech-support and bank-impersonation scams usually need the caller to get onto the computer. The FBI's IC3 2025 report lists 47,794 tech-support scam complaints and $2,134,675,818 in reported losses, about $44,000 per complaint (IC3 2025 report). Removing unused apps helps, but a scammer can ask them to install a new one.
If something already happened
Don't shame anyone. Disconnect the PC from the internet, call the bank from another phone, change the email password from another device and report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
One more layer
If you want to be the second person on every connection, Xcelcor Guardian is a Windows 11 app that holds new remote connections (AnyDesk, TeamViewer, Quick Assist, RDP and others) until you approve them by email or on xcelcor.com. Your parent only gets a Refuse button, so a caller can't talk them into approving it. It doesn't see their screen, files, passwords or banking, and it works alongside antivirus. It lowers the risk; it doesn't stop every scam. It's 14 days free on one PC, no card. Family is $79.99 a year for up to five PCs, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Related: more ways to protect parents from scams and how tech support scams work.
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