Grandparents are targeted because they are trusting, they answer, and they will do anything for a grandchild. The classic version is a phone call. The email version is quieter and easier to scale: a message that looks like it is from you, a "lawyer" or a "police officer", saying you need money for bail, a hospital bill or a stuck trip, and asking to keep it secret.
Live from Inbox Hero
Real totals across every inbox Inbox Hero protects: emails checked, flagged as suspicious, scams blocked and AI-written emails spotted. Updated Oct 28, 8:08 AM PT.
| Checked | Flagged | Blocked | AI-written | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Today | 1,165 | 4 | 3 | 432 |
| Last 30 days | 36,748 | 26 | 11 | 1,462 |
The warning signs to teach them
- Urgency and secrecy. "Don't tell Mom and Dad" is the tell. Real emergencies involve the whole family.
- A new address or number. "I lost my phone, this is my new email" is how the story starts.
- Strange payment. Gift cards, wire transfers, cryptocurrency, or cash handed to a courier. No court, hospital or lawyer takes gift cards.
- A voice or video that sounds right. AI can now copy a voice from a short clip online. Agree on a family code word that only you know.
Set it up for a grandparent in ten minutes
- Start your own Inbox Hero account with your email. It is free for 30 days ($0 today).
- Add your grandparent's email as a second mailbox. Gmail, Yahoo, AOL and iCloud all work. Do it together on a visit or a video call: they sign in to approve it once (iCloud uses an app-specific password). After that it runs on its own.
- That is it. Scam protection is on by default. Your grandparent keeps using their email exactly as before, on the same phone or computer.
You see their mailbox in your own Inbox Hero app, including everything that was quarantined, so you can check in from your phone without logging in as them. An extra mailbox is $5 a month on top of your plan.
What your grandparent sees
- Clear scams disappear. Fake banks, "your account is locked" pages, fake delivery notices and malware attachments are moved into a folder called Fraud before they reach the inbox.
- Doubtful mail gets a warning, not silence (Gmail). When something looks risky but is not certain, it stays in the inbox with a plain-English Be careful note at the top explaining why, and one-tap buttons: Move to Fraud or It's fine.
- Real mail stays put. Mail from people they write to, and mail that passes the sender's own authentication checks, is never quarantined as phishing. Every move can be undone.
- Less clutter. Newsletters and promotions file into a Later folder, so the email from you or their doctor is the first thing they see.
What it does not cover (yet)
Scam checks run on Gmail, Yahoo, AOL, iCloud and other IMAP mailboxes: clear scams are moved into the Fraud folder on all of them. The Be careful note inside a doubtful email is Gmail-only for now. Inbox Hero protects email only: phone calls and text messages need their own protection (your carrier's spam-call blocking is a good start).
Setting it up for a parent instead? See protect your parents from email scams.
Frequently asked questions
What is the grandparent scam?
A scammer pretends to be a grandchild (or a lawyer or police officer acting for one) in trouble, asks for money urgently, and asks the grandparent to keep it secret. It now arrives by email and text as well as by phone, often written or voiced with AI.
How can I protect my grandparents from email scams?
Put a scam filter on their email (Gmail, Yahoo, AOL or iCloud): add it to your Inbox Hero account and they approve it once. Clear scams are quarantined, risky mail gets a warning, and you can see what was caught. Also agree on a family code word for emergencies.
Will my grandparent have to learn a new app?
No. They keep using their email the way they always have. Inbox Hero works in the background.
Does it stop scam phone calls?
No. Inbox Hero protects email. Use your phone carrier's spam-call blocking for calls, and the family code word for anything that sounds like an emergency.
Take back your inbox today
Connect Gmail or any mailbox in one click. Inbox Hero files the noise, drafts your replies, and quarantines phishing. It is free for 30 days ($0 today).
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