While young people’s comfort with technology can cause them to let their guard down too easily, senior citizens who are relatively new to technology can often fall for schemes that more savvy Internet users would catch.
Senior citizens are often targeted with online scams because they are likely to have good financial standing, including good credit, savings, and real estate. Internet scammers can prey on their unfamiliarity with technology and use tools like phishing emails, pop ups, malware, and social engineering to get senior citizens to divulge sensitive information. Read about common scams targeting senior citizens and tips they can keep in mind to help them spot security risks and respond appropriately.
Too Good to Be True Offers
Social media sites like Facebook are riddled with posts for contests promising trips to exotic places, cheap designer goods, and high-paying work from home offers. These scams often ask people to fill in contact information or financial information for shipping and handling charges to deliver goods. Scammers will then use this information to steal the victim’s identity or sell it off to other scammers. Tell your elderly family and friends to think twice about any offers that may seem too good to be true and to stick to shopping with reputable online companies. Offer them advice on sites you trust to help them differentiate the good from the bad.
Social Engineering
Social engineering includes a wide range of scams that involve the scammer convincing the victim that they are trustworthy and then using the information the victim divulges against them. Some examples are phishing messages, where emails or pop-up windows appear to be from a trusted company, like a bank or antivirus software and say that action must be taken immediately to avoid problems like an account shutoff or the spread of a virus.
Other social engineering scams can take place through social media sites or communication applications like Skype, where a scammer poses as a friend or relative to gain the trust of the elderly person. If your elderly friends or family receive any urgent messages like this, tell them to stop and disengage from the situation. Scammers rely on victims responding immediately to a sense of urgency. If they stop and assess the situation, they are much less likely to be fooled. If they think they still need to respond to the situation, call the company or friend that the email or pop-up window claims to be to see if the message is authentic.
Healthcare & Prescription Scams
The high cost of healthcare today drives many senior citizens to look for deals online. Counterfeit prescription drugs are a huge business, but can be dangerous. They may be contaminated or may not contain the active ingredient. This can exacerbate existing health conditions and put senior citizens at greater risk for illness. Sites selling prescription drugs may also collect personal and financial information and never send any product. Tell senior citizens to only use reputable pharmacies or drug distributors approved by their doctor or insurance company.
Medicare recipients are often targeted for their personal information. Scams against them include medical identity theft, where their information is stolen and used to obtain medical care, prescription drugs, or to submit medical claims in their name. Tell friends and family with Medicare coverage to closely guard their medical information, including plan numbers, and to monitor their financial accounts and billing statements for any charges or care they did not initiate.
Use these tips to help your elderly friends and family members to stay safe online. Remind them to always think twice about offering their personal or financial information online and to verify the identity of anyone requesting it. Read more about common scams facing senior citizens from the National Council on Aging and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).