--- {"title": "AARP Fraud Watch Network vs Hiya in 2026", "description": "Compare AARP Fraud Watch Network and Hiya for a household: what each source says it does, what it costs, how to start, and what to check.", "url": "https://cleverdings.com/aarp-fraud-watch-vs-hiya/", "date": "2026-10-12"} --- Compare AARP Fraud Watch Network and Hiya for a household: what each source says it does, what it costs, how to start, and what to check. AARP Fraud Watch Network offers a free helpline. [^1] Hiya says its consumer app can block scams, spot AI voices, and screen calls, and that more than 550 million people are protected by its service. [^2] Postal Buddy is made by the team that publishes this site, and it tells an older person, in big print and out loud, what each letter they photograph is. [^3] | Option | Own price | What its source says it is | |---|---|---| | AARP Fraud Watch Network | Free helpline; discounted plans for Nomorobo not priced [^1] [^1] | A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization; free Fraud Watch Network Helpline at 877-908-3360 Mon-Fri, 8am-8pm ET [^1] [^1] | | Hiya | not published [^2] | An AI voice security and branded calling platform; consumer app can block scams, spot AI voices, and screen calls [^2] [^2] | | Postal Buddy | Senior's side is free forever; Plus is $9.99 a month or $79 a year [^3] | An app that tells an older person, in big print and out loud, what each letter they photograph is [^3] | ## The short answer AARP Fraud Watch Network offers a free helpline. [^1] Its page says it also offers discounted subscription plans for Nomorobo, a scam-blocking app. [^1] Hiya says its consumer app can block scams, spot AI voices, and screen calls. [^2] The sources for Hiya say its services cover more than 40 countries. [^2] If you want a free helpline to call about fraud, AARP says it has one. [^1] If you want an app that blocks scam calls and screens calls, Hiya says its consumer app does that. [^2] If you want a tool that tells an older person what each letter in the mail is, Postal Buddy says it does that. [^3] The sources for AARP say nothing about screening mail, and the sources for Hiya say nothing about reading letters, so check what each one covers before choosing. ## What AARP Fraud Watch Network and Hiya are built for Its Fraud Watch Network Helpline is free and operates Monday through Friday, 8am to 8pm Eastern Time, at 877-908-3360. [^1] AARP offers free resources and discounted subscription plans for Nomorobo, a scam-blocking app. [^1] Members can save on identity theft protection plans that detect and alert users to threats. [^1] Hiya says it provides an AI voice security and branded calling platform. [^2] Its consumer app can block scams, spot AI voices, and screen calls. [^2] Hiya says its services cover more than 40 countries. [^2] It says more than 550 million people are protected by its service. [^2] That is all the sources say here for each one. They do not state whether AARP's helpline handles questions about mail scams specifically, or whether Hiya's app does anything with letters or bills. Before relying on either, check its pages for what it covers. ## What Postal Buddy is built for Postal Buddy is made by the team that publishes this site. It is an app that tells an older person, in big print and out loud, what each letter they photograph is. [^3] You take a photo of each letter you get, and Postal Buddy tells you, in big print and out loud, what it is. [^3] The app can read its explanation of a letter out loud. [^3] For a bill, it shows the sender, the amount and the due date. [^3] For a suspected scam, it says not to pay or call the number on it; Postal Buddy says it never calls a letter safe. [^3] The older person does not have to sign in; family helpers sign in. [^3] The app is made for phones and the web. [^3] You can try a demo with a made-up family without an account. [^3] Its web scam check is free and needs no account; Postal Buddy tells you what looks wrong and says nothing is kept. [^3] Plus adds a Monday email on what needs doing, what was caught and what changed. [^3] Plus includes alerts for a scam asking for money, a bill about to go overdue, a government letter, or a bill that jumped. [^3] ## Pricing and fees AARP Fraud Watch Network: its helpline is free and operates Monday through Friday, 8am to 8pm Eastern Time. [^1] AARP offers free resources and discounted subscription plans for Nomorobo, a scam-blocking app. [^1] Its sources do not publish a price for the Nomorobo plans or the LifeLock by Norton plans, so check its pages for the cost. [^1] Hiya: its sources do not publish a price for its consumer app or its business services. [^2] [^2] Check its site for any cost. Postal Buddy: the senior's side is free forever. [^3] Plus costs $9.99 a month or $79 a year, with a 30-day Plus trial and no card needed when the first helper joins. [^3] Its web scam check is free and needs no account. [^3] ## Getting started For AARP Fraud Watch Network, the helpline is a phone call to 877-908-3360, Monday through Friday, 8am to 8pm Eastern Time. [^1] Its sources do not give sign-up or setup steps for the Nomorobo app or the LifeLock by Norton plans, so check its pages for how to start those. [^1] [^1] For Hiya, its sources give no sign-up or setup steps. [^2] [^2] Visit its site to see whether it asks you to sign in and what it asks first. For Postal Buddy, you can try a demo with a made-up family without an account. [^3] The older person does not have to sign in; family helpers sign in. [^3] The app is made for phones and the web. [^3] A web app is listed, but the Postal Buddy website says 'Opening soon'. [^3] Its web scam check is free and needs no account. [^3] Plus has a 30-day trial and no card is needed when the first helper joins. [^3] ## Things to check before you choose Ask these of either tool: - Does it handle mail scams and letters, or only phone calls? - Does it tell an older person what a letter says, or does it only flag phone numbers? - Can family helpers get alerts when something needs attention? - Does the older person need to sign in, or does someone else handle that? - What does it cost, and what does a paid plan add? - Is it available on a phone, on the web, or both? - Does it keep any of your information, and does it say what it does with what you upload? ## How to choose If you want a free helpline to call about fraud, AARP says it has one at 877-908-3360, Monday through Friday, 8am to 8pm Eastern Time. [^1] If you want discounted plans for a scam-blocking app, AARP offers those for Nomorobo. [^1] If you want a phone app that blocks scams and screens calls, Hiya says its consumer app does that. [^2] If you want a tool that tells an older person what each letter in the mail is, in big print and out loud, Postal Buddy says it does that. [^3] If you want alerts when a bill is about to go overdue or a letter looks like a scam, Postal Buddy says Plus includes those. [^3] If you want to start without an account, Postal Buddy offers a demo with a made-up family. [^3] ## Frequently asked questions ### Is AARP Fraud Watch Network free? The helpline is free and operates Monday through Friday, 8am to 8pm Eastern Time, at 877-908-3360. [^1] AARP also offers free resources and discounted subscription plans for Nomorobo, a scam-blocking app. [^1] Its sources do not publish the price of the Nomorobo plans, so check its pages for the cost. ### Does Hiya cost money? Hiya's sources do not publish a price for its consumer app or its business services. [^2] [^2] It says its consumer app can block scams, spot AI voices, and screen calls. [^2] Visit its site to see whether there is a cost and what a paid plan adds. ### Does Postal Buddy read mail out loud? Postal Buddy tells an older person, in big print and out loud, what each letter they photograph is. [^3] The app can read its explanation of a letter out loud. [^3] For a bill, it shows the sender, the amount and the due date. [^3] ### Can Postal Buddy be tried without an account? You can try a demo with a made-up family without an account. [^3] Its web scam check is also free and needs no account, and Postal Buddy says nothing is kept. [^3] The older person does not have to sign in; family helpers sign in. [^3] ### Does AARP Fraud Watch Network help with mail scams? AARP's helpline is free and takes calls Monday through Friday, 8am to 8pm Eastern Time, at 877-908-3360. [^1] Its sources do not say whether it handles questions about mail scams or letters specifically. [^1] Check its pages or call the helpline to ask what it covers. Postal Buddy says the senior's side is free forever; Plus costs $9.99 a month or $79 a year, with a 30-day Plus trial and no card needed when the first helper joins. [^3] - [Visit Postal Buddy](/go/start-postalbuddy) ## Sources [^1]: AARP Fraud Watch Network, aarp.org/money/scams-fraud, read 2026-10-09 (https://www.aarp.org/money/scams-fraud) [^2]: Hiya, hiya.com, read 2026-10-11 (https://www.hiya.com) [^3]: Postal Buddy's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start-postalbuddy)