The Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In) has issued an advisory for senior citizens, cautioning them about the frauds that specifically targets senior citizens. Fraudsters target Senior citizens through fake insurance schemes, low cost medications, card renewal, KYC verification, free gifts and offers, the advisory stated.
According to the advisory, fraudsters target senior citizens as they are more vulnerable to online financial scams and frauds and that senior citizens must exercise caution when they are online. "Fraudsters trick victims to provide personal sensitive information like date of birth, credit or debit card numbers, passwords, OTPs, etc to steal their money," the advisory states.
Targeting senior citizens
"Fraudsters exploit the loneliness of elderly people and deceive them with fake relationships. The fraudsters also create fake social media accounts to target senior citizens and convince them to pay money or share banking credentials/OTP/PIN," it further states.
Giving safety measures that senior citizens should consider, the advisory states, "Beware of fraudsters disguising themselves to be from banks or other institutions asking for personal sensitive information. Never share OTP, username, passwords, credit/debit card details, PIN over phone or internet. Never click or download any link/attachments from unknown sources."
"Avoid shopping online if you are not familiar with it. Always have a lock, PIN, password, or fingerprint to access your mobile, laptop, computer. Enable Multi-Factor authentication to your emails, banking and social media accounts. Never share sensitive personal information with strangers and on social media. Avoid making charity contributions over the phone. Always remember that banks or other financial institutions never ask for your Username, Password, OTP, PIN, Credit/debit card details," the advisory concludes.
