While the internet can be an amazing place, full of experiences and new things to learn, it can also be a place where you need to be wary. Many people by now know the dangers of the internet and know how to avoid them, but not everyone is so competent online. Two of the major groups that typically fall victim to spam and scams are the elderly and the very young.
Here are a few tips on teaching seniors about spam and scams to prevent them from losing data, personal information or anything else.
Scam & Spam Protection
Phishing is one of the oldest and more well-known scams on the internet. Because of this, a lot of people nowadays grow up with the internet and are already wary of this kind of scam. However, the elderly who did not grow up with the internet are more susceptible to these attacks.
It’s getting harder and harder to differentiate spam and phishing attempts from real messages, as scammers get more and more sophisticated in their attempts to do so. Fake email addresses look totally real, and even voice calls might be used to try and get you to hand over your information.
That is why criminals on the internet will try to target the elderly more often, as they are more likely to hand over money, either by accident or if they are tricked. If you’re teaching the elderly about internet safety, you must educate them on some of the common types of phishing attacks.
- You’re A Winner: this scam tells a person they are a winner of a big prize and normally asks for personal details in order to send you the money/prize.
- Plea For Help: A fake email from a relative, friend or person in need asking for money. Using social media scammers can pretend the email is from someone you know
- Compromised Bank Account: Another common one with the rise of online banking is fake messages from your “bank” about your account being compromised. They’ll then make you fill in your information and steal from you.
Top Tips For Your Protection
- Don’t click on links found within emails or text messages if you’re unsure.
- Check to see how your bank sends communications to you and never respond to communication methods not listed
- Navigate to trusted websites by typing their web address instead of clicking a link sent to you
- Do not send personal information in emails or text messages or over the phone
- Verify security certificates on websites, look for an HTTPS connection
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