Restoring trust in technology after a cyber scam attack

Like many in her age-group, the lovely Joan, a vibrant 92-year-old Feros Care client, was targeted by a remote deposit capture scam while purchasing a mobile phone. This unfortunate incident led to the loss of her entire deposit and understandably, a reluctance to use technology. However, thanks to Feros Care’s Let’s Get Technical service, Joan has regained her online confidence and learned how to stay safe in the digital world.

This one-on-one training is delivered by our patient Technical Support Officers, who tailor the sessions to your pace and ensure everything is easy to understand.

Read about Joan’s scamming experience and the benefits she’s enjoying since going back online.

Scams and misinformation

When Joan realised she was being scammed, she sought help from her mobile service provider and local authorities.

The situation was further exacerbated by receiving incorrect advice, causing Joan to stop using the internet all-together.

“When I told them my balance was going down, they all told me to turn off the internet,” she says.

While the advice was well-intentioned, it may have increased Joan’s fear of technology due to not explaining the cause. Not knowing what she could do to improve her online safety triggered uncertainty and distrust in technology.

Restoring faith in technology with Let’s Get Technical

 Joan heard about Feros Care’s Let’s Get Technical service and decided that although she was sceptical about doing anything online, it might provide the confidence to embrace some aspects of technology again.

“When the technology training was offered to me, I felt it could be a help. I don’t expose a lot of private information on the internet. I don’t love anything about technology, but I am trying to survive with it,” says Joan.

Joan’s Feros Care Technical Support Officer Amanda says that “only time, trust and understanding will empower our seniors to become more confident to use technology safely.”

She continues, “Joan was given a lot of incorrect information, which made it hard to break that barrier, especially if local authorities and the mobile service provider said to turn off the internet, so that no one could hack her accounts.”

“It took quite a lot of reassurance, correct information, and explanation of how Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and the internet work, and how beneficial it could be when using it safely.”

Trusting again and rediscovering the benefits of an online world

Joan decided not to use the internet for shopping or online banking, however through Let’s Get Technical, she discovered listening to music through a streaming platform – and loves it!

Some of her initial goals included learning how to send text messages and learning the basics of operating her devices. In the end, Joan could do all of this as well as emailing, organising her inbox, plus she learnt how to scan and print documents with her phone.

“Let’s Get Technical has been very helpful,” she says, also mentioning that if technology requires her to use the internet for more services, she will eventually do so.

We could not be any prouder of Joan, who has taken the initiative to overcome a bad experience and become more comfortable with technology.

Online scams can have a significant impact on someone’s life – and Joan is not the only senior who has experienced fraud. Feros Care’s Let’s Get Technical has helped many seniors understand how scams work and how to stay safe online, while taking advantage of the many benefits technology can provide.

To learn more about how the Let’s Get Technical service can support you to use technology safely, click here.