The call comes in the afternoon, when the house is quiet. A polite voice says he is calling from the bank: there is a problem with the account, and he needs the code from a message to fix it. Or a "police officer" says a son is in custody and a fine must be paid immediately. Or a courier is at the door with a package that needs a customs fee in cash. Older family members across the Gulf are targeted by these scripts every day, precisely because they are caring, polite and less familiar with how scams look. A few family habits can make them dramatically harder to deceive.
Agree a family code word
Choose a secret word or phrase known only to close family. Anyone who claims to be a relative, or to be calling on a relative's behalf, must be able to say it. If they cannot, they are not who they say they are. Practise it kindly — the rule is not about distrusting family, it is about verifying strangers who use family names to ask for money.
The "show me before you pay" rule
Agree that no payment above a small amount happens without showing a trusted family member first. That covers bank transfers, cash handed to visitors, gift cards bought at a shop, and card details typed into a website. Frauds rush; a real official or company will accept a short pause. If a purchase or transfer cannot wait a day, that is the sign that it should wait.
Save official numbers in their contacts
Help your parents save the real numbers of their bank, telecom provider and the police under clear names such as "Bank — official" and "Police — official". Then teach the habit: if someone calls claiming to be the bank, hang up, wait a minute, and call the saved number. Never dial the number the caller gives. The same rule applies to text messages: no codes to callers, no links from messages.
Remind them what officials never do
Write it in their language and keep it near the phone: no official or bank employee ever asks for your password, your card PIN or the code from a text message, and officials do not collect fines or fees in cash at the door or over the phone. If someone asks for any of these, the conversation is a fraud, whatever titles they use.
Spot the tricks together
Fraudsters use urgency ("your account will be closed"), secrecy ("tell no one") and kindness ("I am only trying to help you"). Talk through a few short scenarios at family gatherings: the grandchild in trouble call, the prize-winning message, the technician who needs remote access to the computer. When they install apps or receive calls, check in gently. Watch for sudden large transfers, new apps they did not ask for, and cards being used for purchases they cannot explain. If something has already gone wrong, do not blame them — fraudsters are skilled, and shame only stops the next person from speaking up.
How to report it
Report fraud through your country's official police reporting channel — each Gulf state has one, and the current links are listed on cyberawareuk.com/report. Report on behalf of a family member if needed, and keep any messages or numbers as evidence.
Emergency
Police emergency numbers: UAE 999 · Saudi Arabia 911 · Qatar 999 · Kuwait 112 · Bahrain 999 · Oman 9999. Save the right one in the phone today, and teach the family to use it without hesitation.