Page 57 - How to be Cyber Safe + Savvy

BY THE NUMBERS
People age 50 and over are targeted more fre- quently than other ages for internet scams and hoaxes. In 2021, the FBI received over 165,000 complaints from online crime victims in this demographic, with over 90,000 coming from those 60 and older. Total losses among older victims came to almost $3 billion, about 67 percent higher than the $1.8 billion in losses racked up the year before, and notably more than younger victims’ losses. Indeed, these figures surely understate the full extent of the problem, since many online crime victims never report their losses because of embar- rassment, shame, or not knowing where to go for help with their plight.
CYBER SAFE + SAVVY 57
SCAM WHAT HAPPENS HOW TO STAY SAFE
Family member in need
These scams exploit your concern for loved ones in combination with real pieces of personal information to get you to act quickly in an
apparent emergency situation.
 Hang up the phone and call your family member directly to make sure the person is safe. If you can’t reach him or her right away, call another family member or friend to gather whatever information you can.
Never send money or give out personal information in response to a call like this. Once you establish what is really happening, there will be time later to help make things right.
Restrict access to personal information on Facebook and other social media platforms to friends and family. Scammers routinely gather personal information from public data on social media to make it sound as if they know you or your family members.