In this blog, we want to promote online safety for seniors, who are often targeted with fraud or scams.
Technological advancements have brought countless benefits, but they’ve also opened the door for new forms of exploitation and fraud. Unfortunately, seniors are often targeted due to their trusting nature and lack of familiarity with online security.
New forms of scams and fraud are invented daily. The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre reported that there were over 92,000 cases of fraud affecting almost 58,000 victims last year. This resulted in a financial loss of $531 million.
By understanding the red flags and adopting a few simple practices seniors can confidently navigate the digital landscape.
Distinguishing Scams from Fraud
Scams involve tricking individuals into voluntarily parting with their funds, often under false pretenses. An example of a scam is an email saying you’ve won the lottery. To receive your proposed prize, the scammer will request your personal information and bank details. When provided, the scammer will then steal money from your account.
On the other hand, fraud entails financial theft carried out without the victim’s consent or knowledge. This is when somebody steals your identity and impersonates you to carry out unauthorized financial activities.
As the digital landscape evolves, so too do the techniques employed by scammers, leading to an array of scams and frauds.
Online Safety For Seniors: Avoid These 10 Common Scams
It’s disheartening to see that the prevalence of scams is on the rise, with a growing number of seniors falling victim each year. As we strive to equip seniors with the knowledge they need to navigate the digital landscape safely, we identified ten common scams below:
- Romance Scams: Fraudsters create fake profiles and manipulate victims’ emotions to extract money.
- Tech Support Scams: Impersonating tech support personnel to convince victims to pay for non-existent services, often saying their device has a virus.
- CRA Scams: Scammers claiming that the victim has outstanding taxes or fines and threatening severe consequences if victims don’t pay immediately.
- Grandparent Scams: Pretending to be family members in financial distress and requesting money due to an emergency.
- Prize/Lottery Scams: Promising lucrative prizes or cash winnings in exchange for personal information.
- Investment Scams: Fake investors offering unrealistic high-return investments that sound too good to be true.
- Healthcare Scams: Exploiting seniors’ health concerns by offering fake medical treatments or insurance plans.
- Home Improvement Scams: Posing as contractors, scammers take upfront payments for home repairs they never complete.
- Identity Theft: Requesting personal information under the guise of legitimate reasons.
- Charity Scams: Falsely representing established charities or creating fake ones to get donations.
Understanding these scams is the first step in avoiding falling victim to them. In the next part of this series, we’ll delve into the tactics of phishing versus pharming and provide practical strategies to counter them. Stay informed, vigilant, and safe in the digital world.
