Did you know that elderly people aren’t necessarily the most likely to be scammed online? Well, the Better Business Bureau issued a report stating that its Millennials and Generation X’ers who are the most likely to be a victim of scammers. The reason? The elderly population are far more likely to actually report the incident of a scam before financial loss occurs. In fact, over 90% of them will report it sooner than the younger generation. Even though Millennials and Generation X’ers are far more tech savvy, they are far slower to report being scammed, making them much more likely to lose money as a result.

Oddly enough, many of these younger people never reported the scam activity because they never actually believed they were really a victim. Even though they may feel they are immune to malware attacks and other scammers, none of us are immune to it. Staying aware and being informed is your best defense, no matter how old you are! Knowledge is power when it comes to protecting yourself against online scams. If you fail to report being scammed in a timely manner, your chances of suffering a financial loss will increase dramatically! The elderly population seem to know this.

One other important factor worth noting is that the individual’s online activity can play into becoming a victim of scams. This is because of online shopping and other retail websites visited by younger people. Individuals under the age of 45 tend to shop online much more than the older generation, thereby making them more susceptible to online scammers and malware.

The bottom line for a take-away lesson here is to always be aware of the fact that you are as much at risk for being scammed as anyone else. If you are solicited to spend money, sign up for various websites and their services, or even asked to click on a link you receive in your email, STOP and THINK before you click anything! Make sure that you are spending only in secure websites with secure methods of payments. If you have any questions about what you are seeing, call the BBB and ask them to verify the site or company before you spend any money or click any links that could cost you dearly!

While it is possible to recover a financial loss, it’s very difficult if it is not reported immediately! To get the absolute best protection, call Tech Sentries today! We can apply the best application whitelisting technology which will block unsafe or unwanted programs from ever opening. Let us show you how easy it is to be protected so you can keep your mind on the things that matter most to you!