Digital Safety Tips for Seniors

Today’s technology is extremely beneficial for seniors. It allows them to connect with loved ones, play valuable brain games and search for nearby events and activities. But it can also be dangerous for seniors who don’t understand the potential risks or the importance of online safety. According to the FBI, online scammers disproportionately prey on seniors aged 60 and over, resulting in significant losses. Implementing just a few digital safety tips can minimize the risk of online scams and keep you and your loved ones safe. Keep reading to learn more.

Understanding Common Online Threats

The most important thing to understand about going online is that not everyone is who they say they are, and they don’t always have good intentions. Seniors must stay vigilant and be on the lookout for some of the most common online risks, including:

• Phishing: A fraudulent email or text scammers use to steal personal data
• Identity theft: A hacker steals a person’s personal data to commit crimes, such as setting up fraudulent accounts or making unauthorized purchases
• Tech support: A claim to offer free tech support that actually tries to gain access to your information
• Grandparent scam: A request for money while pretending to be a family member in need
• Romance scam: A person pretending to be romantically attracted to you, but they really want to steal your money
• Lottery scam: A claim you won a fake lottery but asks you to send money first

Create Strong and Unique Passwords

Most online accounts and apps are now password-protected, but the security of these accounts depends on the strength of your password.

• Create a new password for every account. This may seem tedious, but it's necessary. Otherwise, hackers could gain access to multiple accounts if they learn just one password.
• Avoid using personal information, including your birthday or kids' names, when creating passwords. Hackers can easily obtain this information by other means, such as your social media profiles. Passwords should also be a minimum of 16 characters and contain a mixture of letters, numbers and symbols.
• Change the password for your accounts every 3-6 months. This step can protect your information if hackers gain access to your account.

Remembering passwords for every account can be difficult, but a password manager app can help. This tool securely stores your passwords until you need them.

Recognizing Phishing Scams

Phishing scams are fraudulent emails or text messages hackers use in an attempt to steal your money and personal data, such as your identity, bank information and passwords.

To avoid phishing scams, don't open any email or text that looks suspicious, and never click on a link within the message. For example, if the message includes multiple spelling or grammar errors, it’s probably a scam. Additionally, be leery of messages that use urgent language, including “respond immediately” or “it's urgent that we hear from you today.”

The problem is that some of today’s scammers are very sophisticated. They can make a fraudulent message look real. For instance, they may use a URL address that's similar to the actual one, such as walmark.com rather than walmart.com. Before you open any email or text, verify the sender.

Avoid emails that request personal information from you. Any authentic sender should already have your information. Also, avoid clicking on links within a message. Instead, access your account using the official app or website. For example, if your bank sends you an email, rather than clicking the link in the message, navigate to the bank's website, and log in to your account using the app, or call the bank directly.

Safe Online Shopping

Shopping online is extremely convenient. To protect your personal data, only shop on secure websites. When going to a website, start by looking at the address bar at the top of the page. The website address should begin with https://, not http://. The “s” in "https" means the website uses encryption security to protect your data.

While this is an important step, it still doesn’t guarantee your protection. Even phishing scams can use https:// sites. It’s best to only shop at online stores you know and that have a good reputation.

Never provide an online store with your banking information. Instead, use a credit card if possible because it offers better fraud protection. There are also multiple online payment systems you can use to make secure payments, such as PayPal, Google Pay, Apple Pay and Venmo.

Social Media Safety

Social media provides a great way to stay connected with friends, family members, businesses and your senior living community, but it’s also frequented by scammers and hackers. It’s important to stay vigilant and refrain from sharing too much personal information. Feel free to post pictures and comment on friends’ posts, but don’t share vital details of your life, such as your address or phone number.

Only friend people you know. It’s best to err on the side of caution. If you receive a friend request from someone you’re not sure you know, don’t accept the request, or wait until you can verify who they are.

It’s vital to keep your social media accounts private. Frequently check the privacy settings on your social media accounts. Make sure only friends and family members can see and comment on your posts. Also, enable the two-factor authentication setting. This reduces the risk of a hacker taking over your social media account.

Public Wi-Fi

Many public places, including stores and restaurants, offer free Wi-Fi access to customers. But free doesn’t mean secure. Advanced hackers can use this lack of security to steal your personal information. You should never use unsecured public Wi-Fi.

If you must use secured public access, be careful. Consider using a virtual private network, or VPN, that encrypts your data when using Wi-Fi. Additionally, don't open any vital apps, such as your banking app, while using public Wi-Fi.

Online Safety Education

Unfortunately, online scammers seem to become more sophisticated every day, trying new ways to trick seniors. To combat these risks, stay current on potential scams and invest in online safety education.

Most importantly, when in doubt, don’t open any messages, click on any links or respond to anyone you don’t know. Ask trusted friends and family members to help secure your mobile devices and provide advice. They can help you differentiate a scam from an authentic request.

Aberdeen Heights Works to Protect Residents

Aberdeen Heights is committed to protecting its residents by educating them on digital safety. Do you want to learn more about how our community is enhancing the digital safety and well-being of our residents? Contact Aberdeen Heights at 314-909-6000 to schedule a tour today.