Protecting older citizens from cybercrime: Introducing Then & Now
The Then & Now campaign is now live on the NCA Website
It’s a well-documented fact that older citizens are among the most popular targets for scammers and cybercriminals. And to quote National Cybersecurity Alliance Executive Director Lisa Plaggemier at last week’s NCA Convene conference, “They know they’re being targeted, and they’re mad about it.”
This is so relatable in so many ways for most of us with older family members. Plaggemier said older folks are determined to “keep up” and to use technology. They don’t want to just abandon the technology because of fear. They also want to fight back against the scammers – like I said, they’re mad. I’d be mad, too.
But older folks often are less versed in all the ways scams can appear. And, the introduction of AI and deepfakes has made this whole thing much more difficult. (Read my post from earlier this week about outsmarting the deepfakes with a simple safe word for your family.) According to the FBI, Americans over the age of 60 reported almost $5 billion in total fraud in 2024 – and those were just the reported cases.
For me, having lost both my parents already and having to watch my dad struggle with dementia before he died, this all rings true. I remember joking in college that I was tech support for my parents – everything from which remote to use for what to how to use their newfangled smartphones. When my mom died, I made my dad a three-ring binder titled “How to use your iPhone” with lots and lots of screenshots. This is a very vulnerable segment of the population – and one of the most targeted.
The NCA has done something about it and is launching a new campaign and printed workbook and microsite for older folks titled Then & Now. In my opinion, this is a smashing home run of an effort to educate in an entertaining and easily accessible way. Here are the things I like the most about it:
1. It’s super user-friendly and accessible. Then & Now features cute cartoon characters kind of like those in a Pixar movie. (And can I say that I love that the characters on the website blink their eyes? Details people.) It’s less than 30 pages and is basically the size of a magazine (unlike other similar guides that are way too long to be practical). Even the font is larger for folks whose eyes have some mileage on them.
2. It uses familiar context. Throughout the booklet, there are examples like the two below with a “then” image and a “now” image – relating new technology to something an older person would be familiar with. This is helpful context and makes the messaging sticky. For instance, when discussing MFA, the booklet proclaims, “2 locks are better than 1!” My dad would completely agree.
3. It’s written in plain English. I can’t overstate how complicated tech seems for some older folks, so writing about it without using jargon and in clear, plain language goes a long way. Thinking back to my own experience, having to downgrade and say things like “the little picture that looks like an envelope” instead of “icon” used to induce massive eye rolls from me. But you have to talk to people in a language they will understand, otherwise the message is lost.
4. It offers additional resources, if the reader wants them. Throughout the booklet there are QR codes to access videos and additional topical information. If someone wants more, they can scan the code and go deeper. But the NCA did not bog this book down with too much detail. It stays at the right level of informative but not so heavy on details that it becomes confusing. There is also a great Additional Resources section in the back.
5. It doesn’t make people feel stupid. A lot of times, these types of scams go unreported because the person feels ashamed for “being stupid” and falling for the scam. This booklet does not make anyone feel stupid and explains in a factual and clear way why scammers are getting better every day and how easy it is to be duped.
OK, so if you would like to order a Then & Now booklet for your loved ones or family friends, you can do so here. Note that the cost of the booklet is $5 + $6.95 shipping if you want 1-9 copies. If you want larger quantities, the price per booklet goes down. I would highly recommend ordering a few copies for your elderly relatives and anyone else in your life who falls within this demographic.
Finally, Plaggemier said during last week’s conference that the NCA is keen to try to get these into doctors’ offices. So, if you have any connections to physicians, doctor groups, etc., please do share with them and encourage them to order a stack for their waiting room!
I sincerely wish this booklet had existed when my parents were still here. If you are lucky enough to still have the older generation of your family around, make a small investment and help them learn to be safer online.
Follow the National Cybersecurity Alliance on their socials to keep up to date with the campaign or find posts you can share on your socials to spread the word: