How can people who didn’t grow up with technology protect themselves
against some of the most common types of online fraud?
The conventional thinking is that aging people tend
to be at a higher risk of falling prey to scam artists than their children or
grandchildren. Regardless of whether this is true
or not, older people in the United States alone are
swindled out of some US$3
billion a year via all manner of schemes, including
internet-enabled theft, fraud, and exploitation. Moreover, any such statistics
are likely to represent only a fraction of the actual damage, since many
victims are too embarrassed to come forward and admit that they had been taken
in by scammers.
What makes many older people vulnerable to online
fraud, anyway? Among other things, fraudsters may exploit their trusting nature
and, in some cases, deteriorating cognitive abilities caused by aging. Needless
to say, the con artists may leverage the fact that the intended victims didn’t
grow up with technology and never took even the most basic cybersecurity training. Partly with that in mind, this year’s series of articles marking Antimalware
Day will conclude with a few tips that can help
(not only) the elderly stay safe from common types of online scams.
Be skeptical
Never assume that a stranger online is a
trustworthy person. Indeed, you would be well-advised to always consider the
possibility that the unexpected message may be a scam attempt. By extension,
you should exercise caution even if the message comes (or seems to come) from
someone you do know, and this applies equally to messages delivered via email,
instant messaging apps or social media. Watch out for anything unusual about
the message or sender; it could be a bad guy who has hijacked your friend’s
online account and uses it to blast out malicious spam. If in doubt, throw it
out!
Don’t click
A phishing
attack, which is one of the most pervasive online cons,
typically begins with an unsolicited email or social media message in which the
fraudster impersonates a trusted entity and, using social
engineering techniques, attempts to persuade you to hand
over your sensitive data, such as credit card details or login credentials.
Many con
artists have diversified far beyond misspelled
and purely text-based phishing messages, building entire lookalike websites and
Facebook pages as lures for campaigns. You should never automatically assume
that any material received out of the blue – no matter how official it looks –
is authentic. Be wary of clicking on links or open attachments in emails even
if the message appears to be from a known, trusted source.
Say no to ‘freebies’
Similarly, fraudsters may also send you an email to
congratulate you on your ‘win’ in a lottery
or sweepstake you never entered in the first place.
Nevertheless, in order for your ‘prize’ to be released, they will ask for your
personal details and/or request a payment upfront in a kind of ‘advance-fee
scam’. Typically, the missive will instill a sense of urgency, asking you to
respond promptly or risk missing out. Remember that legitimate lotteries never
require winners to pay fees to collect their winnings.
Never wire money to strangers
Confidence/romance fraud, where the victim is
tricked into sending money or personal information to the false admirer, was
the second costliest type of online fraud to hit people of all ages in 2018,
causing aggregate losses worth US$362 million. Worse, the FBI’s latest Internet Crime Report also found that almost one-third of romance scam victims are
estimated to have been used
as money mules, which made them unsuspecting crime accomplices.
Romance scams have for years been high on the list of the most common scams against
seniors, which may not be surprising in the sense that loneliness is one of the
most common issues many seniors face.
Hang up
In tech
support fraud, con artists will often seek to convince you that
your computer has been compromised by malware and that you need to provide them
with remote access to your device so they can fix the issue. Of course, the
pretext is fake, but the ensuing damage – the loss of personal information and
money – is very real. You should never provide a stranger with remote
access to your computer, even if they claim to represent a reputable
vendor.
Bonus tip
The last tip is mainly intended for the younger of
us: Let’s keep an open dialogue with our parents and grandparents and explain
the basic cybersecurity practices to them in a relatable manner. On top of
acquiring a better understanding of the dangers of the online world, many of
them will feel more engaged and less lonely, which may ultimately help them
stay safer online.