Protecting the elderly against cybercrime: dealing with risks, finding solutions

NEVER before has there been a time such as the present where families need to protect their older family members and those living alone from the ills of cybercrime.

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Those who struggle with failing memory are particularly vulnerable to cybercriminals and predators.

A growing number of older adults are falling victim to online scams, and we need better awareness, clearer guidance, and stronger support systems to protect older people online.

This is according to a research study titled “Cybercrime against Senior Citizens: Exploring Ageism, Ideal Victimhood, and the Pivotal Role of Socio-economics”, coauthored by Dr Suleman Lazarus, a sociologist affiliated with the University of the Western Cape.

His research, alongside colleagues from the University of Surrey and the University of Portsmouth, sheds light on how older adults are deliberately targeted by online fraudsters and why age-based discrimination — ageism — plays a central role in these crimes.