How to flag possible fraud to family, for home health aides

Q: Is Postal Buddy free to try?

The senior's side is free forever. You can try a demo with a made-up family without an account. Plus, the paid tier, costs $9.99 a month or $79 a year, with a 30-day Plus trial and no card needed when the first family member joins. Check the current prices on the website before you decide.

A plain guide for home health aides on how to flag possible fraud to family, what to gather first, and a mail-reading app that can help.

By CleverDings · 2026-10-26

CleverDings is published by the makers of Benefit Buddy, Postal Buddy and Packing Buddy, which are compared here alongside other apps.

Write down what came, when it came and who sent it, and do not pay or call the number on a letter that looks like fraud. Then tell a family member and your agency before you act, since they can help check it. Postal Buddy, described below, is one tool that can help you read a letter and flag a scam. ^[1] ^[1]

Option	What it does	Cost
Postal Buddy	Tells an older person, in big print and out loud, what each letter they photograph is, and flags a suspected scam. ^[1] ^[1]	The senior's side is free forever; Plus costs $9.99 a month or $79 a year, with a 30-day Plus trial. ^[1]
Your agency's supervisor	Not published here; ask how the agency wants suspected fraud reported.	Not published
Your client's bank or card company	Not published here; call the number on the card and ask how to report a suspicious payment.	Not published
Local adult protective services	Not published here; ask whether they take reports of suspected fraud.	Not published

What you need before you start

Most of the work is having the facts ready before you raise the concern. Gather these so the message to the family and your agency is clear the first time.

The item itself. Keep the letter, envelope, and any card, text or email that came with it. Do not throw anything away while you check it.
The sender. The name, address, phone number and web address shown on the item, written exactly as printed.
Dates and amounts. When it arrived, any due date, and any amount it asks for.
The client and the agency. The client's full name, the agency or employer you work through, and the supervisor's contact details.
Who should hear. The family member or person who manages the client's affairs, if there is one.
Permission. What the client has agreed to in writing about you handling their mail or bills.

Do not copy full account numbers or Social Security numbers into notes or messages. If the letter shows one, keep the letter and envelope in a safe place, or give them to the agency's records, and leave the number out of your summary.

Step by step

Stop before you respond. Do not pay, sign, or call the number on the letter until you have checked it.
Write down the facts. In a few plain sentences, note what came, when, who sent it, and what it asks for.
Tell the family. Let the family member or person who manages the client's affairs know what you noticed. Describe the letter, not the client's judgment.
Check the sender yourself. Find a phone number from a separate source, such as the agency's records, not the number printed on the letter.
Report to your supervisor. Send the summary to your agency supervisor in writing, and ask which channel they want used for suspected fraud.
Contact the bank or card company if money may be involved. Use the number on the client's card, and ask how to report a suspicious payment.
Keep a record. Note the date, the time, who you told, what you said, and what you were asked to do.
Save copies. Keep copies of anything you send, along with any reference numbers you receive.
Follow up in writing. Ask what happens next, and note when you will check back.

Tools that can do it

The table lists options that fit this job. The rows without published facts need a direct question before you rely on them.

Postal Buddy is made by the team that publishes this site. You take a photo of each letter you get, and Postal Buddy tells you, in big print and out loud, what it is. ^[1] The app can read its explanation of a letter out loud. ^[1] For a bill, it shows the sender, the amount and the due date. ^[1] For a suspected scam, it says not to pay or call the number on it, and it never calls a letter safe. ^[1] Its web scam check is free and needs no account, and it tells you what looks wrong and says nothing is kept. ^[1] The older person does not have to sign in; the family members who help do. ^[1] You can try a demo with a made-up family without an account. ^[1] Plus, the paid tier, adds alerts for a scam asking for money, a bill about to go overdue, a government letter, or a bill that jumped. ^[1] The free plan gives one family member a Monday email with how many letters came, and Plus adds a Monday email on what needs doing, what was caught and what changed. ^[1] Plus costs $9.99 a month or $79 a year, with a 30-day Plus trial and no card needed when the first family member joins. ^[1] The app is made for phones and the web. ^[1] A web app is listed, but the Postal Buddy website says 'Opening soon'. ^[1]

The other rows have no published facts here. Ask your agency how it wants suspected fraud reported, call the number on your client's bank or card to ask how to report a suspicious payment, and ask local adult protective services whether they take reports of suspected fraud before you rely on any of them.

Common mistakes to avoid

Acting before checking. Paying or calling the number on a letter before you have checked it is the step fraud depends on.
Going around the family. Tell the family or the person who manages the client's affairs. Skipping them can cause trouble later.
Assuming someone else reported it. Confirm with your supervisor in writing, so the report is on record.
Trusting the number on the letter. Use a number from your own records or the agency's records instead.
Losing the original. Keep the letter and envelope, since they are the evidence others will need.
Keeping no record. Write down dates, names and what was said, even for short calls.
Blaming the client. Older people are often targeted, so keep the conversation calm and factual.

Frequently asked questions

Where should a home health aide start when a letter looks like fraud?

Stop before you pay or respond, and write down what the letter says, when it arrived and who sent it. Then tell the family member or person who manages the client's affairs, and report it to your agency supervisor in writing. Check the sender using a number from your own records, not the number printed on the letter. Keeping the original with its envelope makes the next steps easier for everyone involved.

What should a home health aide gather before reporting possible fraud?

Keep the original letter and envelope, the sender's name and contact details exactly as printed, and the dates and amounts it mentions. Write down who the client is, which agency you work through, and who in the family or the agency should hear about it. Note whether the client agreed to you handling their mail. A short written summary of these points lets everyone act on the same facts.

Can Postal Buddy confirm a letter is a scam?

Postal Buddy flags a suspected scam by saying not to pay or call the number on it, and it never calls a letter safe. ^[1] Its web scam check is free, needs no account, and tells you what looks wrong. ^[1] Treat its result as one input, and still check with your agency and the family before you act.

Is Postal Buddy free to try?

The senior's side is free forever. ^[1] You can try a demo with a made-up family without an account. ^[1] Plus, the paid tier, costs $9.99 a month or $79 a year, with a 30-day Plus trial and no card needed when the first family member joins. ^[1] Check the current prices on the website before you decide.

Does Postal Buddy need the older person to sign in?

No. The older person does not have to sign in; the family members who help do. ^[1] A web app is listed, but the Postal Buddy website says 'Opening soon'. ^[1] Check the website for the latest on how to get the app.

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. ^[1]

Try Postal Buddy

Sources

Postal Buddy's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)