Trying to Explain Phishing to Your Parents Like...

Let me set the scene.

It’s a calm Sunday afternoon. Birds are chirping, your laundry is half-done, and you’re trying to ignore the existential crisis brewing in the back of your mind. Suddenly, your mom calls. Not to ask how you are (of course not), but because she received an email from “Amazon” saying she won a new iPhone 15 Pro Max.

“All I had to do was enter my credit card details to cover the shipping fee,” she says, sounding excited, as if she’s just won the lottery of life.

Your soul leaves your body.

You teleport to her house in under 4.6 seconds. There she is, sipping her tea, basking in the glow of her digital fortune, oblivious to the cyber chaos she almost invited into her life.

This, my friends, is what trying to explain phishing to your parents is like. It’s like trying to teach a goldfish how to set up two-factor authentication.

The Phish Are Biting, Mom.

“No, Mom, it’s not a real fish,” I begin, already regretting my life choices. “Phishing with a PH, not an F. It’s when cybercriminals pretend to be legit companies to steal your personal information.”

Blank stare.

“So it’s like a fake Amazon?” she asks, squinting at her ancient iPad like it might give her the answers if she looks hard enough.

“Yes, exactly! But more evil. Think of it like a digital con artist. Like that guy who sold you the ‘genuine’ Ray-Bans in 1997 outside the train station. Except now he wears a hoodie and lives in his mom’s basement in Romania.”

She gasps. “How do they know I shop at Amazon?”

Oh boy.

“Because, Mom, everyone shops at Amazon. It’s not personal. It’s like throwing a net into the ocean. Someone’s bound to get caught.”

Dad Joins In: The Plot Thickens

At this point, Dad walks in, somehow already defensive.

“I never click those links,” he says proudly, the same way he says, “I don’t need GPS,” right before getting lost in his own neighborhood.

“Good, Dad. That’s smart.”

“Except that one time when Apple emailed me about my account being hacked. I clicked to be safe.”

My eye twitches.

“Dad, that wasn’t Apple. Apple doesn’t have your AOL email address.”

He looks wounded. “But it had their logo and everything.”

Ah yes. Because no hacker has ever right-clicked and saved an image.

Why It’s So Hard to Explain

Here’s the real kicker. Our parents grew up in a time when you trusted the mailman, the bank teller, and the nice man in the suit selling vacuum cleaners. The idea that someone would spend their entire day sending fake emails just to steal your Netflix login is not just absurd to them — it’s borderline science fiction.

Try explaining that someone can copy-paste a website to make it look like PayPal.

“So you’re saying I have to look at the URL?”

“Yes, Mom. If it says ‘paypal.scammy.ru.biz’ it’s not real PayPal.”

“But what if I click it by accident?”

“Then you might as well give them your social security number and your Netflix password and call it a day.”

She gasps again. “But I share that Netflix account with Aunt Sheila!”

Exactly.

The Wild Email Jungle

The modern email inbox is like walking through a jungle. Some paths lead to treasure (like a 20% off coupon from your favorite store), and others are disguised pits with wooden spikes covered by banana leaves. Your parents are walking through this jungle barefoot, eyes closed, with a wallet hanging from a chain around their neck.

“But how do I tell what’s real and what’s fake?”

Great question, Mom.

• Does the email greet you with a generic “Dear Customer”?
• Is the grammar worse than Dad’s DIY plumbing job?
• Is the email address something like support@paypal-services.info.biz?
• Is it asking you to click something urgently?

If yes to any, congratulations: it’s a scam!

The Emotional Bait

Scammers are master manipulators. They know how to trigger emotion.

Fear: “Your account will be closed in 24 hours unless you act now!” Greed: “You’ve won a $500 Amazon gift card!” Curiosity: “Click here to see what your neighbor said about you.”

Your parents are especially vulnerable because they didn’t grow up dodging catfish and spyware and fake tech support calls. They grew up with landlines, handwritten letters, and people who only stole from you in person.

Okay, So What Can You Do?

Short of building a bunker and tossing all electronics in it, here’s the plan:

1. Enable Two-Factor Authentication Yes, I know it’s a pain. But it’s the digital equivalent of putting two locks on your door. If your dad complains, just remind him he locks the shed with three padlocks.
2. Use a Password Manager They’ll grumble at first, but once they realize they don’t need to remember that “password1234” isn’t safe anymore, they’ll thank you.
3. Install Antivirus Software Think of it like the dog that barks when sketchy people walk past the house. Let the software bark.
4. Teach the Golden Rule “If it looks too good to be true, it probably is.” Unless it’s cookies. Then it’s just your kid trying to butter you up for a new Xbox.
5. Regular Digital Checkups Sit with them once a month. Check their inbox, update their passwords, delete suspicious messages. Also, remind them not to click on ads that say, “This Shark Tank product will make you lose belly fat in 10 days.”

Bonus: Scam Call Theater

When the scam callers come knocking (and they will), turn it into a game. Train your parents to ask them questions like:

• “Oh really? What’s my name then?”
• “Can you hold while I grab a pen?” Leaves phone for 17 minutes.
• “My son works in cybersecurity. Would you like to speak with him?”

Better yet, let your dad answer in a dramatic cowboy accent. Give the scammers a story to remember.

Wrapping It Up (With a Firewall)

Explaining phishing to your parents is an ongoing, patience-testing, occasionally hilarious journey. You’ll need analogies. You’ll need memes. You’ll need to accept that one day they’ll forward you a WhatsApp message about how hackers are installing viruses through pizza delivery boxes.

But it’s okay. Because they taught you how to ride a bike, eat vegetables, and survive the real world. Now it’s your turn to help them survive the digital one.

Just take a deep breath, pour some coffee, and begin again with:

“Okay, Mom, remember what I said about links…?”

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About the Author:

Vijay Gupta is a cybersecurity enthusiast with several years of experience in cyber security, cyber crime forensics investigation, and security awareness training in schools and colleges. With a passion for safeguarding digital environments and educating others about cybersecurity best practices, Vijay has dedicated his career to promoting cyber safety and resilience. Stay connected with Vijay Gupta on various social media platforms and professional networks to access valuable insights and stay updated on the latest cybersecurity trends.