Latin America. The increasing use of technology in everyday life has brought several benefits to all age groups, but it also increases the risk, especially for older adults. According to ESET, "this group has become a major target for cybercriminals, who take advantage of their lower familiarity with digital environments to deceive them."
Conventional Fraud Affecting Older Adults
Phishing: FFake messages designed to trick users into clicking on malicious links or downloading infected files. "If you receive an email with the promise of winning a prize or an offer (joy), a threat that an account will be blocked, or a debt (worry), you should think twice before clicking on a link or downloading a file."
Criminals impersonate support technicians or family members in distress to obtain personal information. ESET warns that it is important to keep the peace and under no circumstances provide secret data. Social media and website fraud schemes include spoofed profiles, misleading advertisements, and malicious links. Cybercriminals can clone official sites and pay for advertising to appear in the first search results, which can lead victims to make purchases on fraudulent sites.
Account hijacking: Using repeated passwords makes it easier for cybercriminals to access multiple accounts. For this reason, ESET recommends using strong and different passwords for each service, in addition to using password managers such as KeePass.
Fraudulent QR codes: Although they have become popular for various activities, they can also be used by criminals to direct to malicious sites. It is important to verify the source of the code before scanning it.
Prevention measures
Do not share sensitive data: Avoid providing personal or banking information over the phone, mail or social networks without verifying the identity of the sender.
Use strong passwords: Robust combinations of letters, numbers, and symbols, stored in password managers if necessary.
Keep devices up to date: Make sure operating systems and applications are up to date to prevent vulnerabilities.
Enable two-factor authentication (2FA): An extra layer of security for emails, bank accounts, and social media.
Be cautious with links: avoid clicking on links of dubious origin, even if they come from known contacts.
Use security software: install a reliable antivirus and perform regular scans on devices.
Avoid public Wi-Fi networks: Do not bank or access sensitive information on open networks.
"Education and awareness are key points for the care of information, regardless of age. If you are an older adult, and some of the recommendations or the technology itself is technically beyond you, the ideal is to look for someone who can accompany you, either an experienced family member or close friend, or a trusted PC repair technician," advises Camilo Gutiérrez Amaya, Head of the Research Laboratory at ESET Latin America.
How to Help Older Adults Navigate Safely
ESET also suggests some strategies for those who want to assist older adults in their adaptation to the digital environment:
Accompany them in the configuration of devices: teach them to identify risks with concrete examples.
Create an environment of trust: encourage dialogue so that they consult before making decisions online.
Review privacy settings together: check the security of social networks and applications.
