If your parent opens every email, you already know the fear: one convincing "your account has been suspended" message and a password is gone, or money is wired. According to the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center, people over 60 report the largest losses to online fraud of any age group, and email is where most of those scams start.
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 |
Set it up for a parent in ten minutes
- Start your own Inbox Hero account with your email. It is free for 30 days ($0 today).
- Add your parent'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 parent 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. If you would rather they have their own account, that is $10 a month.
What your parent 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.
How the scam check works
For every message from someone your parent does not already write to, Inbox Hero reads where each link really goes (not the friendly text hiding it), looks for look-alike and raw-IP web addresses, password-harvesting pages, disguised downloads like invoice.pdf.exe, reply-to tricks, and failed sender authentication. Anything that trips those checks is then reviewed by AI, and only a high-confidence verdict is quarantined. That is why it is conservative: it would rather warn than hide a real email. See real phishing examples.
Scams Inbox Hero is built to catch
- Fake bank, PayPal and Medicare emails that lead to a sign-in page.
- "Your subscription renewed" invoices from fake Geek Squad, Norton or McAfee.
- Fake delivery notices from "USPS", "UPS" or "Amazon".
- Prize, lottery and inheritance emails.
- Malware hidden in attachments.
Read the full list in the 10 email scams that target seniors.
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).
Frequently asked questions
How do I protect my elderly parent from email scams?
Add their email (Gmail, Yahoo, AOL or iCloud) to your Inbox Hero account; they approve the connection once. Scam protection is on by default: clear scams are quarantined into a Fraud folder, doubtful mail gets a "Be careful" warning with the reasons on Gmail, and you can see what was caught from your own app. Free for 30 days.
Can I set it up for my parent without them learning anything new?
Yes. They keep using their email exactly as before. The only step for them is approving the connection once, which you can do together in person or on a video call.
Can I see what was blocked in my parent's inbox?
Yes. When their mailbox is on your account, you see it in your Inbox Hero app, including the Fraud folder, without logging in as them.
Will it hide real emails from family or their bank?
It is conservative by design. Mail from people they write to and mail that passes the sender's authentication checks is never quarantined as phishing, unsure cases get a warning instead of being hidden, and every move can be undone.
Does it work with AOL, Yahoo or iCloud email?
Yes. Scam checks run on Yahoo, AOL, iCloud and other IMAP mailboxes as well as Gmail: clear scams are moved into a Fraud folder. The in-email "Be careful" warnings are Gmail-only for now.
How much does it cost?
Free for 30 days. Then $10 a month for your mailbox and $5 a month for each extra mailbox, such as a parent's. Cancel anytime.
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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