--- {"title": "AARP Fraud Watch Network vs Malwarebytes Scam Guard in 2026", "description": "Compare AARP Fraud Watch Network and Malwarebytes Scam Guard with Postal Buddy: what each source says it covers, what it costs and what to check.", "url": "https://cleverdings.com/aarp-fraud-watch-vs-malwarebytes-scam-guard/", "date": "2026-10-22"} --- Compare AARP Fraud Watch Network and Malwarebytes Scam Guard with Postal Buddy: what each source says it covers, what it costs and what to check. AARP offers a free helpline and discounted plans for Nomorobo, a scam-blocking app [^1] [^1]. Malwarebytes offers 24/7 human support, and its Standard plan covers a single phone, tablet or PC [^2] [^3]. Postal Buddy tells an older person, in big print and out loud, what each letter they photograph is [^4]. | Option | Own price | What its source says it is | |---|---|---| | AARP Fraud Watch Network | The Fraud Watch Network's price is not published; its helpline is free. [^1] | AARP describes itself as a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization [^1]. AARP offers a free helpline, free resources and discounted plans for Nomorobo, a scam-blocking app [^1] [^1]. Members can save on identity theft protection plans that detect and alert users to threats [^1]. | | Malwarebytes Scam Guard | The price is not published in the sources used here. The Sole proprietor plan protects 3 devices [^2]. | Scam Guard is included in all plans [^2]. Malwarebytes offers 24/7 human support [^2]. Its plans protect PCs, Macs, Androids and iPhones [^2]. The page says it is backed by up to $2 million in identity theft insurance [^2]. Malwarebytes offers a 60-day money-back guarantee on all annual plans [^2]. | | Postal Buddy | The senior's side is free forever; Plus costs $9.99 a month or $79 a year, with a 30-day Plus trial [^4] | Postal Buddy is an app that tells an older person, in big print and out loud, what each letter they photograph is [^4] | ## The short answer AARP's Fraud Watch Network includes a helpline you can call about a scam, and AARP says the helpline is free [^1]. AARP also offers discounted plans for Nomorobo, a scam-blocking app [^1]. Malwarebytes Scam Guard comes from Malwarebytes, which offers 24/7 human support [^2]. Its Standard plan is antivirus for a single phone, tablet or PC [^3]. Postal Buddy is for paper mail. You photograph each letter and it tells you, in big print and out loud, what it is [^4]. The needs each tool's sources cover are these. A free phone line for a scam call matches AARP's helpline [^1]. Antivirus for one phone, tablet or PC matches the Standard plan [^3]. Having letters read aloud matches Postal Buddy [^4]. ## What AARP Fraud Watch Network and Malwarebytes Scam Guard are built for AARP's own page says its Fraud Watch Network Helpline is free and runs Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm ET, at 877-908-3360 [^1]. The same page says AARP offers free resources and discounted subscription plans for Nomorobo, a scam-blocking app [^1]. Members can also save on identity theft protection plans that detect and alert users to threats [^1]. Malwarebytes says it offers 24/7 human support [^2]. Its Standard plan is antivirus for a single phone, tablet or PC [^3]. Malwarebytes Privacy VPN is offered to help users stay secure and private on Wi-Fi or hotspots [^2]. The sources here do not describe how either tool handles paper mail, so check each tool's pages for that. ## What Postal Buddy is built for It is an app that tells an older person, in big print and out loud, what each letter they photograph is [^4]. The app can read its explanation of a letter out loud [^4]. For a bill, it shows the sender, the amount and the due date [^4]. For a suspected scam, it says not to pay or call the number on it, and Postal Buddy says it never calls a letter safe [^4]. The older person does not have to sign in, and family helpers sign in [^4]. Plus adds a Monday email on what needs doing, what was caught and what changed, and the free plan sends one family member a Monday email with how many letters came [^4]. Plus also includes alerts for a scam asking for money, a bill about to go overdue, a government letter, or a bill that jumped [^4]. The app is made for phones and the web [^4]. ## Pricing and fees AARP's sources do not publish a price for the Fraud Watch Network, though its helpline is free [^1]. Its discounted Nomorobo plans are described without an amount in the source [^1]. Malwarebytes Scam Guard's own price is not published in the sources used here. Its Standard plan covers one device, a single phone, tablet or PC [^3]. Check the plan page for the cost of each plan before you choose. Postal Buddy says the senior's side is free forever [^4]. 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 [^4]. Its web scam check is free and needs no account [^4]. ## Getting started To reach AARP's helpline, call 877-908-3360 on a weekday, Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm ET [^1]. The Nomorobo plans are listed on AARP's Fraud Watch Network page [^1]. The sources here give no sign-up steps for the Fraud Watch Network itself, so check AARP's page before you call or sign up. The sources used here give no sign-up steps for Malwarebytes Scam Guard. Its Standard plan is for a single phone, tablet or PC [^3], so match the plan to the device before you sign up. Malwarebytes Privacy VPN is offered to help you stay secure and private on Wi-Fi or hotspots [^2]. For Postal Buddy, you can try a demo with a made-up family without an account [^4]. The older person does not have to sign in [^4]. The listing shows a web app, but the Postal Buddy website says it is opening soon, so check its status before you plan around it [^4]. ## Things to check before you choose Ask these of either tool: - Does it work on paper letters you photograph, or only on messages? - Which devices does it cover, and do they match the ones you use? - Can the older person use Postal Buddy without signing in? - Is there a phone number to call, and when is it open? - What does it cost once any trial or first period ends? - Does it say what it keeps, and for how long? - Does it show the price before you sign up? ## How to choose If you want a free phone line to call about a suspicious call or letter, AARP's Fraud Watch Network helpline is free and open Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm ET [^1]. If you want antivirus for a single phone, tablet or PC, the Malwarebytes Standard plan covers that [^3]. If you want each paper letter explained in big print and read out loud, Postal Buddy does that [^4]. If you want a free web scam check that needs no account, Postal Buddy has one [^4]. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is AARP Fraud Watch Network free? AARP says its Fraud Watch Network Helpline is free [^1]. The sources used here do not publish a price for the Fraud Watch Network as a whole, so check AARP's page before you sign up for anything. ### Which Malwarebytes plan covers a single phone? The Standard plan is antivirus for a single phone, tablet or PC [^3]. Malwarebytes also offers 24/7 human support [^2]. Its Privacy VPN is offered to help users stay secure and private on Wi-Fi or hotspots [^2]. The sources used here do not publish a price for Scam Guard, so check the plan page for the cost of each plan before you choose. ### Is Postal Buddy free? Postal Buddy says the senior's side is free forever [^4]. 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 [^4]. Its web scam check is free and needs no account [^4]. ### Can Postal Buddy be tried without an account? Yes, you can try a demo with a made-up family without an account [^4]. The older person does not have to sign in, and family helpers sign in [^4]. The web scam check also needs no account [^4]. ### Does AARP Fraud Watch Network have a phone helpline? Yes. AARP's Fraud Watch Network Helpline is free and runs Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm ET, at 877-908-3360 [^1]. The sources here do not describe what happens once you call, so ask the helpline directly about its process. 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. [^4] - [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]: Malwarebytes Scam Guard, malwarebytes.com, read 2026-10-19 (https://www.malwarebytes.com) [^3]: Malwarebytes Scam Guard, malwarebytes.com/pricing, read 2026-10-19 (https://www.malwarebytes.com/pricing) [^4]: Postal Buddy's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher) (/go/start-postalbuddy)