Gran on the phone

Saturday afternoon, 3:12 pm. Your phone rings. Gran.

"Love, I don't know what to do. Someone just called, a police officer from London. He said your cousin has been in an accident — killed someone. Now he needs bail. £9,000. Immediately. Otherwise he won't be out tonight."

You can hear her voice shaking.

"The man on the phone was so kind. He told me not to speak to anyone — not even to your cousin himself. Because of the investigation. I should go to the bank now, take out the cash, and an officer will come and collect it. I just wanted to quickly check with you whether that's normal?"

Take a breath. Gran is calling you before she transfers. That's already a small miracle. Most victims call nobody — because the caller just told them not to.

What you say in the next five minutes decides £9,000. And whether she feels able to call you again next time.

This module is about how you protect the people around you — Gran, Mum, your best friend after the Instagram hack, the colleague who suddenly has a bill from Microsoft. Without being condescending. Without making them feel stupid. And without becoming the annoying IT uncle yourself.