How to protect parents from phone scams in Canada

Agree on a few rules before the next call

Write these where they can see them. Practise once out loud. The goal is a pause, not a lecture.

• Never send Interac, gift cards, or crypto because a caller said to. Real banks and the CRA do not collect that way.
• Never give a one-time code or ATM PIN to someone who called you.
• Never install a “support” app or grant remote access because a stranger asked.
• If someone says a grandchild or sibling is in trouble, hang up and call that person (or a parent) on a number you already have.
• You will not be in trouble with the family for hanging up. You can always call back together.

The calls that fool people who are careful

CRA and bank “fraud department” scripts are still common. So is the family emergency: a crash, a lawyer, bail, sometimes a cloned voice that sounds like a brother or a grandchild. Courier pickup of cash at the door is part of some of those stories too.

Tech-support calls about a fake iPhone or Amazon charge, then “open the App Store,” are another path onto the phone. If the story needs secrecy, speed, and money, it is not a real institution.

Set up Guardian Circle in about five minutes

Install Guardian Circle on their Android. Large type, simple words. They choose “It’s for me.” You sign in on the website or the app as a caregiver with your own email. On their phone they generate a 6-digit code. You enter it once. That link stays on your account.

For calls, follow Call Setup in the app so unknown callers can be screened. People in Contacts can be left alone. If something looks like a scam, you get an alert. By default you see that it looked like a scam, not the full message, unless they turn on sharing for you.

Retirement homes and home-care agencies use the same idea at guardiancircle.ca/org: staff stay on caregiver accounts, residents are added with each phone’s code, and everyone on staff sees the same alerts. Organization billing is not wired yet.

What this does not replace

Talk to them. Check in after a weird call. Guardian Circle is an assistive warning tool. No system catches every scam. If money already moved, call the bank and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.

Common questions

Do I need to take their phone away?

No. The point is to keep them connected and less alone with a scammer. An app plus a caregiver alert is a middle path between doing nothing and cutting the line.

Will it block the doctor or the pharmacy?

Known contacts can skip screening. Real clinics can still call. Check History if something important was missed, and unblock a number in Settings if needed. No filter is perfect.

Is there a monthly fee?

Caregivers can start free (one protected person, texts and previews). Cloud call protection is Pro at $7.99 CAD per protected person while we are on early pricing. Payment is not wired in the app yet. There is no credit card required to try the free path.

Official sites

For government or Interac rules, use their own pages. We wrote this guide in our words. We did not copy theirs.

• Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre
• Canada Revenue Agency

More help

• CRA scam. Fake refunds, arrest threats, and Google-ad tax pages. What the real CRA never does.
• Interac fraud. Fake deposit links, Marketplace “I’ll pay now,” and how real Interac messages look.