A long time ago, I “politely” asked some dude (who was not disabled) to move his car out of the handicap parking space that my grandfather needed. True story! Honestly, nobody messes with my family, no way, no how! My guess is that you feel the same way about your parents and grandparents. All of us at Wizer do!
Let’s face it, the older generation isn’t as great as we are when it comes to technology which also means they lack information on cyber security training. Give them a break, they went almost their entire lives without it! Can you imagine?
Well, cyber criminals know this too. It’s not rocket science to figure out. You guessed it, grandma is a vulnerable target. Picture this…
Grandma just learned how to use Gmail! (Way to go grandma!) She gets an email regarding her social security check that she is waiting for. She opens the message and a nice gentleman named Bob from The Social Security Office of Google promises her he can get her funds to her by tomorrow! Grandma is filled with joy that someone is being so nice! She really needs to get to the craft store so she can finish making her new grandbaby a blanket.
There’s only one catch so that grandma can get her social security check faster, she needs to give Bob her banking information so that he can “do what he needs to do.”
Grandma just lost her life savings. No baby blanket, no holiday gifts, no bingo night with the ladies. By contacting the Social Security Administration Office and verifying Bob's email address and phone number, Grandma may have been able to avoid losing all of her money. Here are some common scams and things everyone can do to avoid them:
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If you get an unexpected phone call from a family member asking to wire money or give personal information, hang up and call the number in your phonebook.
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Always consult with your doctor and only purchase from official websites that you are familiar with.
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If any antivirus popup shows up urging you to call Microsoft, it’s a scam! Don’t click on any link or call any number, just close the browser.
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Gift cards cannot be used to pay court fines, taxes, or medicine.
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Government entities ”never“ call people and demand payment.
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Don’t do business with anyone that just shows up at your door, and neverpay in advance. Always wait until all of the work is complete.
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You're a winner! The catch is, in order to receive your prize you will need to send money for taxes, shipping, or processing fees. Verify the company and phone number this came from.
We’re here to defend all the grandmas and grandpas out there and have a special cyber security awareness training video just for you and them! As a bonus, we have a free downloadable guide that you can find here!
