Bill's Home Tech logo
Bill's Home Tech Tech Made Simple — Service Made Personal
Call Bill (330) 200-8042 Text Bill
$99 flat first visit · no contracts · Book a visit
← Back to all tech guides
📋 Scam Safety Guide

A One-Page Scam Playbook for the Whole Family

Published October 2026 · Last verified October 2026

One Plan, Every ScamThey all share a shape the playbook answers.Grandchild-in-jail callFake bank or IRS callPhishing or fake storeRomance or investmentconThe same shapeUrgent + secret + odd payment - answer the shape, beat them all.Illustration - a schematic; details vary by device and setup.
Why one simple family plan defeats so many different scams.
The Family PlaybookSix habits, on one page, by the phone.1Verify first - confirm on a number you already have2Never rushed, never secret about money3Use the family safe word for 'loved one' calls4No gift cards, wire, crypto, or 'safe accounts'5The screen isn't proof - voice, face, ID can be faked6The door is open - ask anytime, no judgmentOne shared plan protects against today's scams and tomorrow's.Illustration - a schematic; details vary by device and setup.
The whole family's scam defense, on a single page.

You cannot memorize a hundred scams, but your family can share one simple plan that beats nearly all of them. This guide pulls the whole defense together into a one-page playbook — the habits, the safe word, the rules, and the contacts — that keeps your whole family safe from today's AI scams.

Bill Davis
Bill's Home Tech · Atwater, Ohio
Want the full deep-dive?
The The Family Scam Playbook Guide
PDF · plain English · no ads · made by Bill
The scam
A fake 'fraud department' call
The tell
They ask you to move money or read a code
The fix
Hang up · call the number on your card
Bill's hotline
(330) 200-8042

You cannot memorize a hundred scams, but your family can share one simple plan that beats nearly all of them. This guide pulls the whole defense together into a one-page playbook — the habits, the safe word, the rules, and the contacts — that keeps your whole family safe from today's AI scams.

What's inside this guide

The printable PDF walks through 23 short chapters, in plain language. It also includes an everyday cheat sheet and at-a-glance pictures.

  1. Why One Plan Beats a Hundred Scams
  2. The Shape Every Scam Shares
  3. Habit One — Verify First
  4. Habit Two — Never Rushed, Never Secret
  5. Habit Three — The Family Safe Word
  6. Habit Four — Know the Payment Red Flags
  7. Habit Five — The Open Door
  8. The One-Page Playbook Itself
  9. Setting It Up as a Family
  10. The Playbook Against the Grandchild Scam
  11. The Playbook Against Impersonation
  12. The Playbook Against Online Scams
  13. Teaching Every Generation
  14. Keeping the Plan Alive
  15. When a Scam Gets Through Anyway
  16. The Devices Part of the Plan
  17. A Note for Those Who Live Alone
  18. Why This Protects Against Tomorrow
  19. Questions People Ask Me
  20. Your Playbook, in Five Minutes
  21. Reporting It — and Why It Helps
  22. When to Just Call Me
  23. Contact Card & a Warm Close

Get the printable guide

Everything above is a quick summary. The full, printable guide — the same words, laid out to read and keep by the computer — is a free PDF.

Download the printable PDF →

Last verified October 2026. Information accurate as of October 25, 2026.

Want this set up at your kitchen table?

A scam-check visit is $99 flat: we turn on your bank's real alerts, save the real fraud numbers as phone contacts, fill out the fridge and wallet cards, and practice the 60-second script together. About an hour, 30-day follow-up included. And a phone call about a suspicious call is always free.

📞 Call (330) 200-8042 📅 Book a $99 Visit

Was this guide helpful?

This guide is yours, free.

No sign-up, no email, no catch — it's free the way it looks free. Print it, save it, or share it with family. And if you'd rather hand the job off, the matching service and the ways to reach Bill are right above.

✍️ Every guide researched, written, and reviewed by Bill — your local Portage County tech.

Any prices or outside products mentioned in this guide can change over time — the details here were last checked October 2026 and this page is accurate as of October 25, 2026; please confirm current details before you act. See how often we review our guides →