Misinformation and Older Populations

🔸 This webinar is sponsored by Newsguard 🔸

Join experts and journalists from NewsGuard to learn how misinformation spreads online and what you can do to protect yourself and loved ones from online threats.

Watch out for scammers pulling at your heartstrings

Millions of people of all ages use dating apps and sites every day to build romantic connections. But unfortunately, those looking for love are not the only ones online dating. Hackers and criminals also prowl these sites, looking to take advantage of users – by either stealing their money or using their personal information to commit identity theft.

The numbers are alarming. Americans have lost nearly a billion dollars and Canadians lost nearly $60M to romance scams in the past year, according to the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) and Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre data. Recent research from consumer cybersecurity company Aura found that adults 50–69 made up most victims of romance scams, losing nearly $180 million in the first three quarters of 2022 alone. Adults over age 70 had the highest median loss to these scams, indicating that while fewer people in this age group are dating online, those who do lost an average of $9,000 each — the most of any group, according to Federal Trade Commission data.

Here’s how it happens:

Criminals create fake profiles on dating apps or social media to lure their targets.
Often, they also engage in “catfishing” and steal attractive photos from real people’s social media or profiles. The catfishers may use flirty messages or dramatic stories that play upon victims’ emotions and build trust. Some scammers pretend to be overseas doctors, developers, or military service members — which they use as an excuse for on-and-off communication.
Once you’ve connected or matched, these scammers will quickly move the relationship forward, expressing their love.
They might even ask you to communicate off the dating app and instead use an untraceable platform like Snapchat, WhatsApp or Telegram.
After they’ve gained your trust, they’ll make their ask.
They may demand personal details, gifts, money, suggest that you invest in cryptocurrency, send private photos or visit a web link set up to steal your information. They’ll create elaborate scenarios where they need your “help,” for example covering costs for a family member, medical treatments or to get them out of trouble.
Throughout the “relationship,” they may find ways to get out of visiting you in person or appearing on video chat.
They might provide you with their phone number, but they will never be available when you call. They may even use an untraceable phone number, like a Google Voice number.
They may steal your money or commit identity theft.
You probably will not be able to recover any money you sent them, and identity theft can take months to resolve in some cases.

Do not be afraid to cut off contact and block someone if you feel like something is off.

Ask yourself the following questions if you suspect it could be a scam:

Is their profile “too perfect” (job, photos, etc)?
Are they usually unavailable except via chat? Do they always claim to be traveling or overseas? If so, why are they trying to start a relationship with you?
Are they trying to move the relationship forward quickly in terms of intimacy? Do they pressure you to do the same?
Are they asking you for money, gifts, or financial “help” of any kind?
Do they always have issues when it’s time to video chat or meet in person?
Have they mentioned too-good-to-be-true investments opportunities (cryptocurrencies, inheritances, etc.)? Do they ask if you want to make a lot of money with no risk?
Are they constantly dealing with emergencies and needing help paying their bills?
Have they asked you very personal questions (address, school, type of car, birthday, maiden name, etc.) very quickly?
Are they trying to get you to move the conversation to a different site, Signal or WhatsApp?
Do they ask you to “prove” yourself (that you’re trustworthy or that you love them)?
Do they seem pushy or argumentative if you start questioning them?

Already given someone sensitive information? Secure your online and financial accounts by changing your passwords, setting up a fraud alert with the credit monitoring agencies, and reporting the fraud to the Federal Trade Commission at reportfraud.ftc.gov in the U.S. and to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre. Get help – monitoring your identity and finances can be stressful and time consuming — consider a solution like Aura.

If you sent a scammer money: Report the fraud to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) in the U.S. or Canadian Anti-Fraud Center in Canada. You may be able to reverse wire transfers or track gift cards by contacting the company you sent them through. If you sent your credit card information, cancel your card and set up fraud alerts. Solutions like Aura’s make monitoring transactions and personal information easy and offer peace of mind.

If you think you may be a victim of identity theft or fraud: Look for the warning signs of identity theft. If you recognize any, follow these steps to secure your accounts and recover from identity theft. If you are in the U.S., report identity theft to the FTC at IdentityTheft.gov or if you are in Canada, report the incident to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (1-888-495-8501).

If you think you may become a victim, have already given out information or money, or have been a victim of fraud or identity theft in the past, we highly recommend getting help. Sign up for Aura’s all-in-one digital security solution. Aura protects you from identity theft, financial fraud, and viruses like malware. Plus, if the worst happens, you have access to 24/7 Fraud Resolution Specialists and are covered by a $1,000,000 insurance policy for eligible losses due to identity theft. If you are interested in learning more about identity monitoring and protection, visit: aura.com/febblog

For more information about relationship scams, watch:

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A matter of life and death:

Protect your family’s medical data from hackers

Cyber-Seniors Cybersecurity Playlist

In 2022, over 21 million people’s data was exposed in just 11 large healthcare data breaches. Criminals hiding behind screens make a living from stealing – and selling – our personal identifiable information (PII) like names, birthdays, phone numbers, social security and insurance numbers.

Protected health information (PHI) is worth more than 200x the value of stolen credit card information and 1000x the value of a stolen Social Security number (SSN) on the Dark Web. Given the high value and digitized nature of health data storage, medical identity theft is on the rise. It can involve the following:

A hacker steals records from a hospital, doctors’ office, insurance provider or other medical office
Someone submits fraudulent medical insurance claims to claim cash
A scammer steals health insurance information to get illegitimate access to medical services, equipment, prescription drugs or financial benefits
A caller claims to be a Medicare representative to “verify” a Medicare number, but actually steal it or coerce victims into sharing credit card numbers to pay a fee for a new card or special treatment.

The cost of medical identity theft can be astronomical, with almost two thirds of victims reporting losses greater than $13,500. But the risk isn’t only financial. In some cases, the legitimate policy holder may receive a misdiagnosis or incorrect treatment plan, as a result of a fraudulent and incorrect medical history being created by a criminal. In the most serious cases, unexpected bills, incorrect diagnosis and loss of benefits could cost victims their lives.

Just last year, a U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services subcontractor experienced a data breach involving 254,000 Medicare beneficiaries’ PII. Those potentially impacted were notified and received updated Medicare cards and Beneficiary Identifiers.

Canada’s largest provider of medical diagnostics and testing services, LifeLabs, was also recently breached. Hackers stole 15 million patients’ names, addresses, email, passwords, date of birth, health card numbers and even test results.

In many cases, it can take years for victims of medical identity theft to realize they’ve been targeted, only realizing when visiting the doctor’s office or the hospital. By then, benefit limits may have been reached, with thousands of dollars in fraudulent claims filed.

Warning signs that you might be a target of medical identity theft:

Unexpected bills from medical providers for services that you’ve never received
Unexpected medical kits sent to your home
Calls from debt collectors for medical debts that you don’t recognize
Surprising notification that you reached your benefits limit
Mistakes or unexpected entries in your medical record, such as an incorrect address or date of birth
Fraudulent entries in your medical records, like blood tests you didn’t do or medications you weren’t prescribed.
Receiving a change of address confirmation from your insurance provider, even though you haven’t moved
Insurance claims being denied because your medical records show you have a condition. This is one of the worst consequences of medical identity theft, and could cost victims their lives.

While all of this can feel overwhelming, the best way to tackle medical identity theft is to be proactive about securing your sensitive information.

Here are three steps for you and your family to prevent identity theft:

Safeguard your health insurance card and Medicare cards. Treat these cards and all personal health information as you would a credit card or SSN or SIN. If you lose these cards, contact your health insurance provider immediately.
Protect your mail and online credentials. Never share your patient portal credentials with anyone else. You can opt for paperless bills to reduce the chance of mail fraud (like a change-of-address scam) leading to the exposure of your personal information. Another option is to get a locked mailbox to provide extra security for your sensitive information.
Review the Explanations of Benefits (EOB) and all bills and notices. It’s easy to set bills aside without a second thought. Make a habit of reviewing everything related to your medical care.

Pro tip: Sign up for a family identity theft monitoring plan. Aura can monitor and alert you if someone is trying to scam you online or your family’s sensitive information is being used for suspicious activity. If you are interested in learning more about identity monitoring and protection, visit: aura.com/janblog

For more information about Medicare scams and medical identity theft, visit: https://www.aura.com/learn/what-can-someone-do-with-my-medicare-number

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