How scamsters are duping senior citizens?

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When personal details are shared on social media and apps, cybercriminals gather data and initiate scam calls. Cybercriminals collect this data and initiate a series of scam calls. If elderly couples live alone, they might receive calls on unpaid electricity bills. They are threatened with power cut. The caller offers help and advises that they should download a third-party app. They gain access to the victim’s phone and other devices. With this access, they can steal banking and financial details, emptying their bank accounts.

Similarly, scammers use WhatsApp to message or make voice calls from your acquaintance’s number. They cite medical emergency and ask for money. On medical emergency, people panic and send thousands or even lakhs of money

In such cases, AI is sometimes used to mimic the caller’s voice or hack the number. It’s essential that you stay vigilant against such cyber threats and verify before you accept any unusual request for transfer of money. After this, the people included in the contact list are called. Most senior citizens are not tech-savvy. They have no idea that someone can scam them in the name of electricity bills, updating of KYC details, etc.

So, when the elderly get such a call, they are threatened that electricity will be cut off  or their  bank account will be closed. Or when the caller says that their family member has suffered an accidengt, senior citizens get scared, they panic. Cybercriminals take advantage of this…

Therefore, you should alert your elders at home. Tell them not to receive calls from unknown numbers. If they pick up the phone, they must cross-check before trusting anything. Do not click on any links. If asked to download an app to get payment or reward points, never make that mistake. Also, due to sharing of phone numbers in many places, people become victims of spam calls. So, share your number only where necessary.