It should go without saying that you love your grandma — or your mee-maw, your gigi, your nonna, your bubbe or your abuela. No matter what you call your grandmother, you know that you don’t want anything bad to happen to her or to anyone with her kind and loving demeanor.
Unfortunately, not everyone has the same care and respect for the elderly. Many malicious cybercriminals intentionally target seniors with email and social media scams, knowing that older people experience greater struggles in using and understanding technology. Right now, someone is trying to trick your grandmother into giving away her life savings — and you need to equip your grandma with the tools and knowledge to ensure the scammers fail.
Sign up for Internet Security
The simplest and most straightforward way to keep your grandma safe while she uses the internet is to install premium internet security services on her connected devices. Security suites from the most trusted names in cybersecurity contain some of the most cutting-edge software for detecting malicious content and preventing harm. Even better, most internet security programs operate in the background, so you shouldn’t need to worry about teaching your grandmother how to operate the tech. In fact, it is entirely possible that your grandmother may benefit from the enhanced security without knowing that you made any changes to her device.
Of course, if your grandma does need extra support, premium services often come with a team of experts available 24/7, so she can have access to better security knowledge and skill than you can likely provide.
Create Email Filters
Many older folks still use email as their primary mode of digital communication — even as the younger generations have all but abandoned email in favor of various social media platforms. Unfortunately, email is among the least secure of online tools, and email-based phishing scams targeting older computer users are more than plentiful.
In addition to teaching your grandma to be wary of any email messages she receives (more on that later) you can set up filters on her email inbox to make it easier for her to avoid scams and malware. Many email clients already filter a significant amount of junk and spam mail, but filters can further focus her inbox on trustworthy messages from friends and family. You might also use a tool like Unroll.me to make it easier for you (and her) to track the marketing messages she receives and eliminate unwanted clutter.
Monitor Financial Accounts
Unfortunately, not all internet scams are easy for security suites or email filters to eliminate. If scammers can start a dialogue with an internet user, they can convince that user to surrender personal information or make financial withdrawals of their own volition, and automated security technology will not be able to determine whether this behavior is legitimate or the result of fraud. Thus, you might ask your grandmother if she is comfortable with you monitoring her financial accounts. You might use a tool like QuickBooks or Mint to track her spending, and if any suspicious activity develops — like large withdrawals or significant gift card purchases — you might contact your grandma and ask for more info.
Teach Grandma About Types of Fraud
Knowledge is power, and that is especially true when it comes to avoiding online scams. You should spend time talking to your grandma about online threats, providing plenty of details that might help her identify scams when she encounters them. Some common components of online fraud include:
- Rampant spelling and grammar mistakes in messages
- Slightly incorrect URLs
- Unexpected contact from individuals or companies
- Requests for money wires or gift cards as payment
- Demands for secrecy
- Claims about emergencies or the urgent need for immediate action
- Details that sound too good to be true
You should let your grandmother know that you are always available to investigate a potential scam message with her, which should encourage her to think twice before interacting with a message that seems strange.
No senior web user deserves to fall victim to an internet scam. Fortunately, you can help your grandma stay safe online by taking the steps outlined above — and by keeping your relationship with your grandmother strong.
Caroline is doing her graduation in IT from the University of South California but keens to work as a freelance blogger. She loves to write on the latest information about IoT, technology, and business. She has innovative ideas and shares her experience with her readers.