Elderly targeted online
Online scammers targeting older Net users who are generally more trusting, less security-conscious.
By Chua Hian Hou
Nov 3, 2008
A government survey last year found that 57 per cent of Singaporeans aged 60 and above are online daily. Scams targeting older Net users include fake kidnappings and offers of miracle cures.
CYBER-CROOKS are targeting Singapore's older netizens in an array of scams, from fake kidnappings to offers of miracle cures, say Internet experts and police.
While there are no detailed statistics on the number of seniors who have been tricked, several stories have surfaced recently, including that of a 71-year-old nun whose Hotmail account was hijacked.
The reason: Seniors generally have more money than younger netizens and are less savvy when it comes to security threats, said Mr James Fang, general manager of information technology security firm Trend Micro.
According to a government survey last year, 57 per cent of Singaporeans aged 60 and above are online daily. And over 70 per cent of those aged 50 to 59 connect to the Internet each day.
Unlike their younger counterparts, older netizens usually do not go through compulsory information security courses in school or at the workplace, said Mr Fang.
That, combined with the fact that older Internet users usually have more assets than pocket money-dependent teens, makes them prime targets for scammers, he added.
Some scams, for instance, promise pricey miracle cures for diseases such as arthritis and cancer.
There is also a kidnapping scam in which a victim gets an e-mail message claiming that a loved one has been abducted. Conmen ask the senior for ransoms that can stretch into tens of thousands of dollars.
Mr Gerard Ee, chairman of the Council for Third Age, an independent body that promotes active ageing, believes education is the key to combating scammers.
Abridged
SOURCE: Singapore Straits Times
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