Age-old concerns, new-age tech combine to make seniors vulnerable to online scams
Times of India | 7 February 2025
Kolkata: A combination of factors, ranging from a degree of unfamiliarity with the new digital world to the age-related emotional vulnerability of a parent, as well as the pressure and monotony of staying alone, without youngsters at home, may be contributing to reasons why an overwhelming number of digital-arrest victims happen to be senior citizens.
Psychiatrist Sabyasachi Mitra of CK Birla Hospitals said that a reduction in confidence in the elderly, security concerns, fear of social defamation, lack of digital knowledge, and loneliness make them extremely vulnerable to cyber crime, including digital arrest.
"Many elderly people have good savings but most are not digitally literate. As an individual gets older, the confidence level decreases, which in turn increases their fear and anxiety, making them biologically vulnerable. For security and image issues, they agree to whatever the criminals tell them to do, making them fall prey to such crime. They also tend to forget their email IDs or passwords, which the predators take advantage of," Mitra said.
Mitra cited the example of a retired govt official who was told by some callers that his account was being used for hawala transactions. "He wanted to save his reputation at any cost and ended up being trapped," he added.
Psychiatrist Jai Ranjan Ram of Apollo Multispecialty Hospital said, "This section of individuals could be anxious by nature, making them emotionally vulnerable. After initial talks, the perpetrators could also be sensing that their target is isolated, making them unable to reach out for help."
A cop from a divisional cell has a different take on the issue. "Older adults are more likely to respond to communications from legitimate-looking sources, such as a bank, the police, or a govt department. Research suggested this relates to a greater generational trust in authority as they are seeking social security post-retirement or approaching retirement. Older people are more likely to have smaller social networks and live alone. This reduces opportunities to discuss potential scams and seek advice from others when they have concerns or doubts about the legitimacy of online requests," he said.
"The most specific reason is that ever since Covid, the entire society has shifted towards an online mode of buying and consumption. But during Covid, the elderly had the younger ones staying with them. For many, that was the first introduction to sophisticated cyber technology. After Covid ended, the youngsters resumed their normal activities, leaving their parents or elderly relatives in a dilemma — they are neither too confident nor up to date with newer forms of online crime, but they are also no longer in a space where they can revert to the old lifestyle. This is where a lack of confidence in handling the criminals over phone is proving to be an advantage for fraudsters. The latter are no longer emotionally blackmailing the potential victims but threatening them from a position of authority," explained an anti-bank fraud officer of the detective department.
The way out, Kolkata Police officers say, is awareness and the need to discuss steps before buckling to threats, especially where money is concerned.
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