You can try to meet them where they're at and see what they know about it. If they only heard some FUD, you can help dispell it. Or if they just have some misunderstandings, you can clear it up.

But to me, Bitcoin is digital property that is stable, secure, and trustworthy. Stable because it ticks along block after block with no deviation. Secure because you can hold your keys offline with traditional security practices. And trustworthy because you are in control of your funds without having to trust that someone isn't cheating you.