Year after year, senior citizens are losing millions due to online scams and internet fraud. The reason why seniors, especially those who live in long-term care or retirement homes away from their loved ones, are a prime target for online scammers is simple: they are gullible. Why is that so?
Technology has come a long way from how it was a few decades ago. While younger generations find it easy to adapt to these changes, unfortunately their senior counterpart do not. Many scammers online understand this weakness in older people and use it to their advantage.
So, is there anything that healthcare professionals can do to protect seniors who are under their care? The answer is YES. Here are some things you can do to keep the bad guys away from your residents:
1. Cyber Safety Training
The first step in keeping seniors safe in retirement homes is for caregivers to learn cyber safety fundamentals. There are many programs online aimed at healthcare professionals who want to be safe online and protect their residents as well. Healthcare professionals should then pass on the knowledge to their residents so they can become self-reliant when it comes to defending themselves against online scammers. The joint effort between the staff and the retirement home residents will eliminate chances that may still be available for the criminals.
2. Invest in Powerful Firewall Tools
Most long-term care and retirement homes do not use cybersecurity software effective enough to block scammers. Instead, they rely on free programs, which lack current security features to make them impenetrable. A good rule is to invest in a good program such as Kaspersky, McAfee and OpenDNS Home.
3. Keep Personal Data Safe
Healthcare professionals should advise their residents to never provide any of their sensitive information online. They should train them not to trust anyone online no matter how good, familiar, intimate or trustworthy the person may sound.
4. Report Internet Fraud
The staff should never downplay any online fraud attempts to the relevant authorities. No matter how minor an attempt to defraud a senior may seem, it should never go unreported. That way, the criminals are going to be monitored and tracked as they continue to do criminal acts online and eventually apprehended.
Final Thoughts
Protecting seniors from online frauds need not be a tall order. By providing your staff with cyber safety training, investing in a good firewall program, keeping track of possible online fraud attempts, etc., you can keep your residents safe from internet fraud.
Would you like to learn more about how Med e-care can help you?
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