Guarding Against Fraud: How Caregivers Can Help Elderly Avoid Scams and Phishing

In recent years, the number of fraud cases in Hong Kong has continued to rise, and the situation is worrying. According to police data, from January to June 2024, a total of 19,897 fraud cases were received, accounting for about 44% of the total crimes, an increase of 6.2% over the same period last year, and the amount of losses reached HK$4.48 billion, a significant increase of 66.5% over the same period last year. Among the many fraud cases, the number of "fake customer service" fraud cases has increased sharply, involving an estimated amount of HK$379 million. As the elderly are less familiar with emerging fraud techniques, they are more likely to become victims. Therefore, caregivers play a crucial role in helping the elderly prevent fraud. This article will focus on teaching caregivers how to help the elderly spot fraud and phishing, and protect the safety of their property.

Learn about scams and phishing

Caregivers must fully understand the definitions and common techniques of fraud and phishing before they can effectively help the elderly prevent:

• Scam: Refers to any act of obtaining another person’s property or personal information by deceptive means. Common techniques include "guess who I am" phone scams, impersonating officials, investment scams, treasure medicine parties, blessing parties, etc.
• Phishing: It is an online fraud technique that uses fake emails, text messages or websites to trick users into clicking on malicious links or providing sensitive personal information (such as account passwords, credit card numbers, etc.).

Common fraud techniques include:

• Impersonating agency employees: Fraudsters pretend to be staff from the immigration department, police, banks, hospitals, Taobao or SF Express, etc., and ask the elderly to provide personal information or make payments.
• Pretending to be a relative or friend asking for help: Scammers pretend to be relatives or friends of the elderly, claiming to be in need of urgent financial assistance.
• Take advantage of health or compassion: For example, the Baoyao Party, the Electronic Parts Party, the Blessing Party, the Money Drop Party, etc. take advantage of the health concerns or sympathy of the elderly to conduct fraud.
• Investment scams: Lure the elderly with high-return investment opportunities, such as insurance fraud, virtual currency investment fraud, London gold fraud, property fraud, etc.
  

How caregivers can help seniors identify scams

Caregivers can use technology to help the elderly identify and prevent fraud in the following ways:

1. Install the Suspicious Phone Caller ID App:
   
   Educate the elderly to install reliable suspicious call caller ID applications (such as Whoscall), which provide free services to identify and block known scam calls, and to know whether a suspicious call is suspicious when receiving a call and report suspicious numbers.
   
   Download "Whoscall" now for free:https://app.adjust.com/1a2uk21n
   
2. Beware of calls prefixed with "+852":
   
   Elderly people are reminded that a caller number with a "+" sign in front of it indicates that it is coming from overseas. If you receive a call from a stranger with the prefix "+852", it is pretending to be a local caller and you must be vigilant.
3. Beware of suspicious links:
   
   Do not open links or attachments in suspicious emails or text messages. Even if the content of the message seems urgent (such as account reset, forgotten password, charge notification), you should verify it through other channels (such as official website or customer service phone number). Do not Click the link in the message. These links may contain viruses or malware that may infect your device if clicked. More commonly, these links will direct you to a fake website that looks very similar to the official website in order to trick you into entering personal information such as account numbers, passwords, credit card numbers, etc.
4. Make good use of the anti-fraud video app:
   
   Teach the elderly to use the "Scameter+" by Hong Kong Police Force. This application provides a "Fraud Finder" that allows you to enter suspicious information (such as phone number, website, account number, etc.) to instantly assess risks; "Suspicious Call Warning" and "Suspicious Website Detection" ” function will automatically compare incoming calls and websites and issue warnings. It is emphasized that this APP focuses on protecting user privacy, and the comparison process is only performed on the mobile phone.
   
   Download the "Scameter+" now for free on iOS: https://apps.apple.com/hk/app/%E9%98%B2%E9%A8%99%E8%A6%96%E4%BC%8Fapp/id1663109821
   
   Download the "Scameter+" now for free on Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=scameter.hk.cyberdefender&hl=zh_HK 
5. Strengthen communication and care:
   
   Strengthen communication, care and privacy protection: Regularly share the latest fraud information and cases with the elderly, and watch anti-fraud promotional videos together to build mutual trust and encourage the elderly to proactively contact you if they encounter any suspicious situations discuss. In order to quickly identify the authenticity of the caller in an emergency, it is recommended to establish a secret code with the elder that only each other knows. In addition, regularly check the elderly’s mobile phone call records, text messages and Internet browsing records to keep an eye out for suspicious calls, messages or websites. At the same time, we assist the elderly to set appropriate privacy settings on social media and communication software to reduce the risk of personal information leakage.
6. Teach the "Three Treasures to Prevent Fraud": Elderly people are reminded to remember the “Three Dos” against telephone deception — “Hang Up”, “Verify” and “Get Help”. If you receive a suspicious call, immediately close the call. If you have any doubts, you should verify the identity of the caller through other channels and seek help from your family or the police.
7. Identify text messages starting with "#":Starting from January 28, 2024, major telecommunications providers and banks in Hong Kong will use the "Registered Sender" starting with the "#" sign to send messages. This helps identify the sender of the text message and prevents fraudsters from posing as banks and sending fraudulent text messages. If you receive a text message that does not start with a "#" sign but claims to be a bank, you should be especially careful.

Conclusion

Caregivers are an important line of defense against fraud. By using technological tools, strengthening communication and care, and teaching the elderly the correct knowledge and skills to prevent fraud, we can jointly create a safer digital life for the elderly.

Related help channels

• 18222 (Hong Kong Police Anti-Scam Hotline)