Protecting Elders from AI Fraud
At its core, AI is a tool. And unfortunately, fraudsters use that tool to create complex scams. They use it to mimic the speech and even face of trusted individuals and a lot of the tells that a video or message is AI aren’t always easy to spot for the elderly. For tips on how to spot an AI scam, check out this quick article. But to learn how to protect elders from AI fraud, read on.
1: Familiarize them with AI. Let them know what to look for to spot AI generated content, but more importantly inform them of the latest AI scams and what to do if they fall for one. This includes romance scams where fraudsters pretend to be a potential romantic partner. Encourage them to be suspicious of texts claiming to be their financial institution asking for sensitive information. Remember, it’s less about the specific tells of modern AI (because those will inevitably evolve), and more about how fraudsters use AI and the information they target.
2: Double check and confirm your contact information in their devices. A common AI scam technique involves fraudsters who pretend to be a relative needing money for an emergency. Let your elders know that should they ever receive a call like that, they should hang up and call the person directly from their contact list. By confirming they have your contact information in their phone, you lessen the chances that they’ll fall for an AI scam version of you.
3: Keep their devices up to date. Updates help close new or emerging security gaps in software. Without an updated device, fraudsters may slip through a security gap and gain access to personal information. To help protect elders, ensure their phones, financial apps, and other software are updating automatically.
4: Ensure they know where to find their financial institution’s fraud hotline number. OCCU and other financial institutions place fraud department contact information on the back of debit and credit cards. If they have vision issues, consider saving the number in their phone.
5: Don’t victim blame. AI generated fraud is everywhere and even people with high technological prowess are susceptible. Should an elder experience fraud, reassure them that it could happen to anyone and point them in the direction of their financial institution’s fraud department.
Fraud has existed since the dawn of time. AI just gives it a modern edge. That said, at OCCU we prioritize and protect our members with round-the-clock fraud -prevention systems and education. By offering free fraud protection and complimentary identity theft protection, OCCU members can rest easy knowing that even if they experience fraud, we’ve got them covered.
