Help older parents filter scam emails
Your dad is expecting a parcel. An email says he needs to pay a small fee today or the parcel will be returned. Before he decides whether to pay, who can he check with? A folder called “Check with me first” gives messages like this a place to wait. He can keep reading email in the app he already knows.
Set up a filter for suspicious email requests
- Agree on who can connect the mailbox and when you’ll check the folder together. Keep the email provider’s spam and phishing protection turned on.
- Connect the IMAP mailbox, create the folder and add a category in AI Email Filter. Describe the requests you want someone to look at.
- Try the category on a small sample. Check which messages it caught and which it missed. When the results look right, set the action to move matching messages to the review folder. Leave them unread so that a real deadline still gets attention.
A category named “Payment request to check” could use this description.
Email that pressures me to pay through a link before a deadline, or asks for my password or a sign-in code. Exclude ordinary delivery confirmations that make none of those requests.
| Example message | What to check in the trial run |
|---|---|
| “Your parcel is on hold. Pay the $2 fee today using this link.” | This should land in the review folder. Open the delivery company’s app yourself to check the parcel. |
| “Your parcel has been delivered.” | A plain delivery update should stay visible. If it moves, narrow the rule. |
| A genuine invoice reminder with a deadline and payment link | This could match too. Verify it using contact details you already have so a real bill isn’t overlooked. |
Can an email filter tell whether a message is genuine?
The model uses the sender, subject and a preview of the message text to suggest a category. It can miss a scam or flag legitimate mail. A message that stays in the inbox can still be dangerous. If a request seems unusual, open the organisation’s app yourself or call a number you already trust. Australia’s Scamwatch phishing guide explains how to check and report a suspicious request.
Helping home users through a computer repair shop
Get the mailbox owner’s permission first. If they want help with setup and will look after the filter themselves, set it up together in their own account. Show them where the review folder appears on their phone using a sample message. Agree on whom they’ll call when something looks odd and who will check the folder with them. You can do this without forwarding private emails to the shop.
Before connecting, explain which message details go to the selected AI model. See privacy and data handling and mailbox pricing.
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