Bengaluru police launch cyber safety drive for senior citizens

Bengaluru: With cyber criminals adopting newer ways to siphon off money, the elderly, who are usually not as updated with technology, are emerging as the new soft targets. According to the Bengaluru City Police, in 2024 alone, there was a 291 per cent increase in losses due to cybercrimes against elders, compared to 2023 in Bengaluru.

As a precautionary measure to control this trend, the Elders Helpline, a joint project of the Bengaluru City Police and Nightingales Medical Trust, launched the DigiSafe 60+ training drive on Saturday.

Specially curated for elders, the training aims to empower them with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the digital world.

Addressing over 100 guests, including several senior citizens, during an interactive session, Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayananda said that while smartphone usage has become a necessity, it has also made us more vulnerable to constantly evolving cyber frauds.

He also highlighted that, due to various challenges in resolving these complaints, even after reporting, the successful recovery of lost funds remains difficult.

In 2023, Rs 46.7 crore were lost due to cybercrime against people over 60 years; however, just a year later, the number rose to Rs 182.8 crore. The city cyber crime police has registered over 2,300 cases of cyber fraud in the last three years, with recorded losses of over Rs 257 crore.

Swati Bhandary, Associate Director of Nightingales Medical Trust, shared that the half-day-long program conducted by experts would teach elders about the basics of both smartphone usage and prevention against such cyber frauds.

“While the younger generation is quick to catch up on the newer technologies, some patience is required to teach it to the older generation,” Swati said, adding that there is also a stigma attached to reporting such frauds, which can only be removed by spreading awareness about it via such drives.