Internet Safety: Protecting our Seniors

By Madison Police Department Technology Committee

The Internet creates excellent opportunities for seniors to meet people, conduct business, plan travel, access records, stay in touch with friends and family, and support hobbies and entertainment interests. But every age group has unique vulnerabilities and seniors are no exception. To help keep seniors safe, here are a few key vulnerabilities to be on the lookout for.

Lack of computer skills: If you do not feel that you are able to set up your computer’s security, it may be well worth hiring a computer technician from a reputable company to review your settings for security and fix any problems you may have. Make sure you have checked the company through the Better Business Bureau and that whoever comes to your home is fully licensed and bonded.

Lack of Internet skills: Spending more time online will help you feel more comfortable with the ins and outs of navigating and interacting on websites. Once you’ve familiarized yourself with the tricks scammers and some less reputable companies use, you can simply avoid them. There are many websites, books and courses offered for every level of user.  Many of these courses are offered at low cost through colleges across the state.

Seniors are more trusting: You are typically more trusting and respectful of official looking material than younger generations, so are more apt to fall for scams. In the online world, unless you know for sure with whom you are dealing, you must assume that you could have landed on a ‘look-a-like’ site trying to scam you. Anyone can build a website that looks as official and legitimate as any other sites for very little money. This means that the fakes are sometimes very, very hard to identify no matter what your age.