Cyber crooks shifting their target towards Senior Citizens

29% think existing laws surrounding privacy are enough to enable elders to protect their privacy online. Over 1,000 people across India participated in the Privacy Survey among elders. The survey from Tsaaro reported that elderly people are less aware of privacy issues and cannot protect their personal information online. The study analyzed that despite the dynamic changes in the Internet world and the heightened threat to privacy, 30% of people did not yet know about it.

In addition, only 45% are aware of privacy-related rights as a data subject, raising some questions. This certainly points to the urgent need for better awareness-raising tools. 55% of participants believe that older people are marginalized. Specific measures are required that take into account that not everyone is proficient in technology.

76% of participants said they are using a social media platform or messaging app. It's okay to use it, but it's most important to take reasonable steps to prevent the loss of your personal data. The information collected shows the group's understanding of personal privacy rights, and the report encourages older people to be aware of these privacy concerns.

At every stage of our interaction with the world, we need to be aware of the amount of personal information they share. Identity theft cases comprise 33% of the total number and cheating by virtual impersonation contributes 62% of the total cases. Lack of awareness is one of the biggest reasons for the extent of crime. This is often the case in elderly people. Most people keep track of political developments, and they should also be encouraged to keep track of technology and cybersecurity trends.

Victims change according to the crime, says a senior police official with the Cyber, Economic and Narcotics (CEN) Crime Police Station. “Women are targets in scams with lures of gifts, where the criminal (often in a virtual relationship with the women) requests money for customs clearance of gifts. Young men, 20- to 30-year-olds, get scammed by job or loan frauds. KYC detail scams usually target people above 50.

Another favourite method of criminals is impersonating “official” entities – government officials, municipalities and various authorities, while exploiting the trust (or innocence) of those veteran citizens and fraudulently obtaining their details.

Cybercriminals with access to an older adult person’s information via a computer, smartphone, or other networked device, can easily exploit it for nefarious intent, defined as “an act of forcing, compelling, or exerting undue influence over a vulnerable adult causing him/her to act in a way that is inconsistent with relevant past behaviour or causing the vulnerable adult to perform services for the benefit of another.