More than half of Russians have elderly relatives who have fallen victim to scammers 02:00

The Internet is becoming an integral part of the life of the older generation. Today, about 70% of seniors use it: almost a quarter (22%) are on social networks, and 17% communicate with loved ones through instant messengers. This was demonstrated by a study by the IT company Cyberprotect and the commercial social network TenChat, the results of which were reviewed by socialbites.ca.

More than half of Russians (62%) admitted that their elderly relatives have encountered cyber fraudsters at least once. Attackers often tried to hack an account; this threat affected almost a third of respondents and their loved ones (28%). In addition, many Internet users received fake messages about winning lotteries and contests (21%), as well as offers to make illegal money on the Internet (17%).

Another major concern for older adults is data loss and compromise. So almost all Russians (95%) have relatives who have lost important information for one reason or another. In most cases (58%) we are talking about the loss of passwords on accounts and accounts. However, there are also more serious incidents such as payment card data being transferred to attackers (7%) or money being stolen from bank accounts (16%).

The low level of digital literacy among the older generation significantly increases their vulnerability to cyber threats: Older people have difficulty distinguishing real information from fake information and avoiding fraudsters’ tricks. In this context, the question arises of ways to protect the elderly on the Internet. Almost a third (29%) of respondents think the most effective security measures are creating strong passwords and enabling two-factor authentication, and more than a quarter (26%) are considering informing relatives about various types of fraud.

Attacks by internet hackers are not the only cause of data loss. According to research, more than 60% of cases involve accidental actions that lead to deletion or loss of data, device or software malfunctions. Knowing simple rules for safe behavior on the Internet and the correct configuration of backups will help prevent this.

It was revealed that one in five Russians (21%) taught their grandparents how to behave safely on the Internet using video lessons, another 13% enrolled their elderly relatives in digital literacy courses, and 10% sent them text-based educational materials. Additionally, 6% of respondents believe that restrictions should be placed on the amount of cash withdrawals and transfers to protect their loved ones from Internet fraudsters. At the same time, more than half of respondents (51%) do not teach their elderly relatives the basics of cybersecurity.

Elena Bocherova, general director of Cyberprotect:

“Although pensioners make up only 15% of victims of cyber fraudsters, this most vulnerable segment of society needs special help and support. In this case, there is nothing better than education and reminders about cyber hygiene rules. It is worth regularly helping your elderly relatives when working with computers and gadgets: monitoring updates, anti-virus software, setting regular backups of important information. This is an opportunity to take care of loved ones and protect them from misfortunes. It should also be noted that there are people who have never encountered internet fraud. “Do not think that such situations will never happen; it is important to be prepared for them.”

Russian Android users before warned about the new malware threat.