What is it about the elderly that makes them such attractive targets for cybercriminals? A variety of factors play a role.
Related: The coming of bio-digital twins
Unlike many younger users online, they may have accumulated savings over their lives — and those nest eggs are a major target for hackers. Now add psychological variables to the mix of assets worth stealing.
Perhaps elderly folks who haven’t spent a lot of time online are easier to deceive. And, let’s be honest, the deceptive writing phishing assaults and other cyber threats today employ are skilled enough to fool even the most trained, internet-savvy experts.
Ever present threats
Some of our elderly may be concerned that any hint of weakness will convince their relatives that they can no longer live alone. Thus hackers rely on them not revealing they’ve been duped. That said, here are what I consider to be the Top 5 online threats seniors face today:
•Computer tech support scams. These scams take advantage of seniors’ lack of computer and cybersecurity knowledge. A pop-up message or blank screen typically appears on a computer or phone, informing you that your system has been compromised and requires repair.
When you contact the support number for assistance, the scammer may ask for remote access to your computer and payment to repair it. Once they get remote access, fraudsters hack confidential details of older adults and scam them. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), seniors lost…
