Gone Phishing: How to Avoid a Crisis of Identity (Theft)

With age comes wisdom… except, perhaps, for many senior citizens still growing accustomed to the ever-burgeoning age of technology.

While the Internet has brought global connection to our fingertips, it has also made seniors a glaring target for Internet thieves, most notably those behind the growing number of phishing scams aimed directly at our aging parents.

“Phishing” is any kind of web-based effort (through emails or website click-through links, for example) to trick the recipient into providing his or her private information, which will then be used for the purpose of identity theft. This scam got its name because much like the real life sport of fishing, the bait is cast widely, in the hopes that at least some catches will be lured in.

Sadly, the elderly make good targets for phishing scams for many reasons, including:

  • Senior citizens are neither as adept nor as sophisticated with rapidly changing technology as other demographic groups.
  • This generation has known a life-long tendency to live frugally. Nearly all will display a strong credit standing, as well as the proverbial nest egg.
  • By nature, seniors are more trusting and compassionate than other age groups. They will have a stronger tendency to reply to emails and special offers, or to follow those online click-throughs, which will then download onto their computers data- or keystroke-capturing malware, providing the thieves with credit card information, passwords, routing and bank account numbers, and other information vital to stealing a person’s financial identity.

Even low-income seniors are at just as great a risk as those who may be more financially secure, for all the reasons noted above.

In recent years, well-known and trusted organizations such as American Express, the Better Business Bureau, various banking institutions, even the IRS have become unwitting pawns in these scams. The criminals behind the scenes send leading emails or pop-ups that may request the recipients to “please click here to update your account,” or “…to verify this purchase,” and so on. The company logos look real, the names of the organizations are real, and financially-conscious victims can fall prey.

So, how is anyone to know the difference? And what if there is a real emergency with an important financial account, such as Mom and Dad’s mortgage? Simple. Your bank, mortgage holder, credit card company, the IRS, etc—NONE of these institutions will ever contact their customers via email.

Never.

Seniors who have been financially defrauded in this manner, no matter their financial backgrounds, are often too embarrassed to tell their family members that they’ve been “had” via an online thief. After all, it’s the natural order of things that parents are supposed to be wiser than their children. For this reason, websites including the Federal Trade Commission, Better Business Bureau and others, provide easy to understand Internet safety tips geared at avoiding phishing scams, and I’ve compiled a list of them below. If you’re the adult child of aging parents, I urge you to point your folks here to take a look for themselves. Perhaps you can review them together.

Tips on protecting yourself against online phishing scams (compiled from various government and private websites):

  1. Never purchase or download security software that unexpectedly pops up on your computer screen. Instead, learn how to set your own computer system to update its security, operating and browsing systems automatically, or ask someone you trust to show you how to do so. You don’t want to be without anti-virus and anti-spyware software, either, and there are plenty of safe, free versions available online from reputable brands. When in doubt, do a Google (or other search engine) search for news and reviews of any company and its software product, and check well-known technology sites such as Techcrunch, Cnet.com or PCWorld. If you let any of your computer systems lapse in their updates, you are leaving your virtual back door open for scammer emails and pop-ups to come through, complete with their attached viruses.
  2. Have a “no click” policy when it comes to leading emails requesting you to “click here” for personal verification, to update your account, to claim your prize, receive your refund, or any such actions. Remember, banks, lien holders, credit card companies, government agencies, etc., will never contact their customers this way. While the email may look real, it’s not.

Instead, simply call the place of business using the phone number that you have on record (from a past bill or statement) and speak to a customer service representative to confirm that your account status is just fine.

  1. Never send personal information (credit card number, social security number, etc.) through an email. It’s just not secure.
  2. When purchasing items online, only enter credit card information when the site itself is secure (encrypted), and when the transaction was started by you or a family member on your end. A secure URL will start with “https,” and there may be a picture a lock. Know that no system is foolproof, as even major retailers and utilities are getting hacked these days.
  3. Check your credit card and banking statements regularly for fraudulent purchases.
  4. Along those same lines, consider signing up for one of those identity theft protection services if the fee is manageable for your household. Undoing the damage done by such a theft is extremely stressful and time consuming, and best left to a professional service.
  5. Don’t be afraid to hit “delete.” Delete any online communication that may be from a questionable source.

In the event of receiving a suspect pop-up or email, or if you or someone you know thinks they may have been the victim of such a con, the following sites offer direction as to how to proceed:

This is one of those cases in which the best defense is always going to be a good offense, so to all you senior readers, do not hesitate to contact your adult kids if you need a little computer guidance; it can even be done over the phone. In the event that you are keeping your own Internet victimization a secret, please get in touch with me so that we may begin a healing family dialogue.

You have no reason to feel ashamed for a crime that is akin to a virtual street mugging.

All my best,
Rabbi Scott Saulson, Ph.D.

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