Overview

In this digital era, cybercrime is on the rise. Recent bank scams have put a spotlight on how frequent scams are occurring. With more seniors being introduced to technology, they are at risk of being cheated as well!

Danger for the Elderly

Scammers often prey on our fears and worries. They target seniors who tend to be more trusting of strangers online since they lack the proficiency and confidence in using online tools. Seniors are also often more nervous when it comes to their life savings and would do anything to prevent putting their money at risk. Internet banking scams are therefore very dangerous in such situations.

In recent years, we see an increase in online scams and there exists several types of scams. Here are some that affects our seniors:

• Phishing Scams (eg. Messages attempting to ask you to input in bank credentials through a replica of an official ibanking application)
• Love Scams (eg. A fake person pretending to be in love with you but will never meet up with you, tends to use pitiful stories to ask for money to be transferred)
• Impersonation Scams (eg. Callers claiming to be officials/authority informing them they have had a run in with the law. Will persuade them to part with money to resolve the issue quickly)
• Health Care Scams (eg. Text messages offering registration for the COVID-19 Vaccine to steal personal information)
• E-commerce scams (eg. overcharging for an item online and ends up delivering a much cheaper/fake item)

What can you do to help your loved ones fight against scams?

• Educate them! - Teach them these basic steps

• DON’T CLICK 
• Do not click on links or messages from suspicious pop-ups or blocked contacts.

• VERIFY WHO
• Verify authenticity and identification of the sender.
• If you are still suspicious, call the sender's or contact’s official hotline.
  
  
• CHECK CONTENTS 

• Check for grammar or spelling mistakes.
• Does the caller sound robotic? If so, hang up immediately.
  
  
• DON’T GIVE 

• Never key in credentials, bank log-in details or personal details outside of official websites and applications.
• Don’t give out OTPs to strangers.
  
  
• REPORT

• Report fraudulent activities to the police.
  
  

• Be Approachable

• Let them know that you're always there for them if they have any questions relating to technology.
• Often, seniors are less confident with using online tools and the internet as compared to the younger generation.
• Ensure your loved ones know that they can come to you whenever in doubt. It helps them understand the digital world better, while it helps you to keep a look out for any suspicious activities they might unknowingly be involved in.
  
  

• Check through their messages (with their permission)

• With their consent, go through their messages that are sent by unknown numbers and delete them away. 
• Double check with them if they have clicked on suspicious links if they have already opened the message.
  
  

• Monitor their bank account and balances (with their permission)

• When it comes to their savings, try to take note of large withdrawals or transfers to unknown payees. 
• Be authorised to monitor their balances or remind them to frequently check on their own!

• Scamshield is an IOS application developed by the National Crime Prevention Council to block out scam calls and messages.
• Download on your loved ones’ mobile phones to reduce their risk of falling prey to scams!
  
  
  
  

• Show them resources such as: 

• Scam Alert SG: www.scamalert.sg
• Anti-Scam Hotlines: 1800-722-6688 (for scam related assistance and enquiries).

Let's Do Our Part

We live in a digital world where our senior loved ones might find hard to navigate. Let’s do our part to keep them safe from such cybercrimes! Here at The Golden Concepts, we believe that ageing well includes being comfortable to learn new things without letting age stop us. Hence, we want to highlight the importance of preventing seniors from being scammed, to allow them to be more confident with technology and have a better online experience.