With the right communication, you can empower them to take care of themselves
According to statistics compiled by the FBI and the FTC, cybercrime against older people is on the rise. In addition to increasing five-fold since 2014, these crimes cost more than $650 million per year. But, luckily, there are things you can do to protect your elder loved ones from online scams.
First, talk with them about what to look out for and how to protect themselves. And here’s an important point of emphasis: You need to talk with them, not at them. Your older relatives have a whole lifetime of experience; a whole lifetime of making their own decisions and relying on their own judgement. It’s unlikely that they’re going to want to be lectured by someone who is 20 or 30 or even 50 years younger than they are.
Think about this way: Would you want your niece or nephew to lecture you about the safety of a neighborhood that you’d lived in for longer than they’ve been alive? Of course not! And to the same token, your older relatives don’t want to be lectured about safety online.
Further reading: Tech can help us protect seniors (without them feeling old)
So instead of lecturing, empower them to take care of themselves. One way to start the conversation is by googling their names and showing them what’s publicly available online. This is a good way ..
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