A practical Canadian workbook and printable toolkit that helps your family prepare for suspicious calls, messages, payment requests, and impersonation scams..
You don't need to know every scam. You need to know what to do when something doesn't feel right.
For older adults, families, adult children and trusted supporters.
What is Pause and Verify, and why does your family need it?
Pause and Verify is a practical family scam-response workbook that helps you move from knowing about scams to having a plan for responding to them. Rather than trying to cover every possible scam, the workbook helps you prepare for the situations that matter most:
-
An unexpected call
-
A suspicious message or email
-
A request for money
-
Someone claiming to be a family member
-
A link or website that doesn't seem right
-
Pressure to act immediately
Scams change. New ones appear. The story may be different each time—but the pressure tactics can be surprisingly similar.
What matters is having a consistent response when something feels wrong. The workbook helps your family decide in advance:
-
“Decide in advance when to stop and pause.”
-
“Know exactly how to verify independently.”
-
“Agree on who to talk to before taking action.”
-
“Have a clear plan for what to do before sending money or clicking a link.”
-
“Know what steps to take if a scam has already happened.”
The goal isn't to recognize every scam. It's to make pausing and checking part of your family's normal response.
You don't need to memorize every scam. You need to know what to do when something doesn’t feel right.
What’s inside the kit?
The Pause and Verify Workbook
– A guided workbook to create your family’s personal scam-response plan –
Universal Scam Red Flags
– A practical reference to common warning signs that can appear across many types of scams –
Before I Send Money
– A pause-and-check tool for unexpected payment requests. –
Incident Record and Family Safe-Word Plan
– A simple way to record what happened and what actions were taken. –
– Create a private family safe word and agree on how it will be used.
Printable Toolkit
– Large-print reference sheets and postcard cut–out cards -
Scam Response
– Step-by-step guidance for what to do when you suspect a scam –
Before I Click
– A quick reference for suspicious links, messages and online requests –
Incident Record
– A simple way to record what happened and what actions were taken. –
Who is it for?
-
Older adults – “A practical resource for staying confident and prepared when something doesn’t feel right.”
-
Adult children – “A gentle way to start a useful conversation with parents without taking away their independence.”
-
Families – “A way to establish shared expectations before a scam happens.”
-
Trusted supporters – “A practical resource for people who help an older adult with technology, finances, or everyday decisions.”
How does it work?
The workbook uses one simple four-step response:
Use these four steps for unexpected calls, suspicious messages, payment requests, and any situation that doesn’t feel right.
What makes it different?
Official Canadian agencies provide important information about scams, warning signs and reporting.
This workbook serves a different purpose.
Official agencies explain scams. This workbook helps your family create and use a personal response plan.
Instead of asking you to remember a growing list of scams, Pause and Verify helps you decide:
What will we do?
Who will we contact?
How will we verify?
When will we stop?
It turns scam awareness into a practical family plan that can be referred to when something happens.
Written for Canadian families, with Canadian reporting and support information incorporated into the resource.
What does the customer receive?
A complete EverHome scam-response package
Format:
Clearly state the finalized delivery format here—for example, [digital PDF / printable PDF / physical workbook + digital toolkit]. Do not imply a physical product if the finalized package is digital-only.
Included:
-
Complete Pause and Verify workbook (Digital PDF)
-
EverHome Scam Safety Printable Toolkit (Printable PDF) including:
-
Family Safe-Word Plan
-
Universal Scam Red Flags
-
Scam Response
-
Before I Send Money
-
Before I Click
-
Incident Record
-
-
Canadian-focused content with local reporting and support information
-
Files designed for readability and practical use by older adults
Designed with readability in mind: clear organization, generous writing space, and large, easy-to-read presentation.