With technology advancements and upgrades coming at breakneck speed, there’s always something newer and more up-to-date to make our lives easier.
Unfortunately, things that make our lives easier can also make life easier for criminals – notably, fraudsters and identity thieves.
The Competition Bureau of Canada estimates that seniors between the ages of 60-79 were scammed out of $94 million between January 2014 and December 2017.
“Criminals tend to look for the path of least resistance and, too often, that passes through our most vulnerable sections of society,” said Jack Smith, president of the Canada Safety Council.
“Seniors seem to be easy targets for a lot of scammers, which is why we feel it’s crucial that we do our part to keep the elderly as informed and prepared as possible to avoid being victimized.”
Messages that appear malicious in nature should be reported to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre and deleted, the safety council added.
“It is unfortunate that seniors are often the target of cyber scams. Recognizing this vulnerability, we are pleased to team up with the Canada Safety Council to help empower them to stay safe online,” said Nimtaz Kanji, Director, TELUS Wise, a free digital safety education program.
“Providing seniors with online safety tips and information will allow them to participate in our digital world without fear, and enable them to take advantage of the positive benefits technology has to offer.”
Submitted by the Canada Safety Council.
