Each year, there are more elderly people falling victim to online fraud. While some narrowly avoid these traps, many others aren’t as fortunate. With 71% of seniors fearing online scams and 11% already affected, the Antwerp Police are committed to educate and protect this vulnerable group.

More and more elderly people are becoming the victim of online fraud. *Francine’s mom is one of them. She became a victim of scamming last week, at the age of 97. ‘My mother received a phone call one morning saying something was wrong with her credit card,’ explains Francine. ‘They told her she needed to put her card in an envelope with her name and address on. Someone from the bank would pick it up later that day.’ Francine’s mother explained that her son usually takes care of this. ‘Later, the same caller reached out to her again, this time saying her son was at the police station to talk about the card. They said the police would come and get the card together with her son,’ continues Francine. Luckily, her mother had the reflex to call her son, that way they were able to avoid a possible fraud.

Why the elderly?

Sadly enough, not every senior is able to avoid a scam. A SeniorWeb research from 2023 show 71% of elderly people are afraid of becoming a victim of online fraud and 11% have been scammed online already. The research also says two-thirds of seniors find it difficult to recognize online fraud. Why is it that elderly are so vulnerable to it?

In an American research, scientists found that the reason is quite simple. Older people are more likely to rely on their first impression, but this impression does not always turn out to be correct. To protect our elderly, the Antwerp Police Department are committed to clarifying those online frauds. They are doing this through explanations, tips and an awareness campaigns.

Different kinds of online fraud

There are numerous ways of scamming. The Antwerp Police Department lists the different forms of cybercrime. The most common forms are phishing, fraud in an online purchase or sale, payment request fraud, help desk fraud and hacking.

Phishing is a common way of online fraud. It refers to the word fishing, criminals literally fish for your data. They do this by sending an e-mail or text from a trustworthy source, for example: the bank, de government or an online store.

In addition to fishing, we also have hacking. Hacking involves someone breaking into your system without your permission. This can happen when you click on a link.

Lastly, there is help desk fraud. This is what Francine’s mom experienced. You get a phone call at home from a scammer posing as a bank teller. They often know a lot about you to make it seems legit. The scammer often makes you believe something is wrong with your credit card and that you must make the money over to another account, the scammers account.

Tips and tricks!

How can you avoid getting scammed? In what way can we protect our parents and grandparents? As said before, the Antwerp Police Department works with an awareness campaign, but they also give out tips and tricks to recognize online fraud on their site. This is what the Police Department advises:

1. Be wary of unexpected messages

Do not open e-mails or files from unknown senders, especially if they are unexpected or suspicious.

2. Don’t just click on links

Never click directly on links in e-mails or messages. Hover your cursor over the link first to see the full Web address. This will often give you an idea of whether the link is reliable. Don’t click if you don’t recognize the address or if it looks untrustworthy.

3. Never trust important bank communications by e-mail

Banks rarely send important communications by e-mail. This type of communication is usually by mail.

4. Don’t fall for “too good to be true” messages

Do you get a message about a prize you’ve won, an unexpected delivery, or a request to pay shipping costs when you haven’t ordered anything? If so, this is usually a ploy by scammers. Ignore these messages if you are sure they are false.

5. Check for spelling mistakes and unprofessional language

Fake emails can often be identified by spelling errors, strange sentence structure or unusual forms of address.

With these tips and tricks, you will be able to keep yourself and your family safe from online fraud. You can find more tips on politieantwerpen.be. If you ever do experience it, don’t hesitate to report it and be sure to keep your evidence well. The Antwerp Police Department stresses this greatly.

* Francine is a fake name.

Text: Nohr Pardon
Image: © Sora Shimazaki (Pexels)