In 2022, thanks to a tip from the AARP Fraud Watch NetworkTM Helpline, Google successfully prosecuted its first consumer protection lawsuit. The scammer in this case was misusing Gmail and Google Voice to target older adults during the pandemic. This example highlights how communication and collaboration like the one between Google and AARP are crucial in raising awareness, educating consumers, and taking action against these kinds of threats.
Laurie Richardson, VP of Trust & Safety at Google and Kathy Stokes, Director of Fraud Prevention Programs at AARP discuss how Google and AARP Fraud Watch NetworkTM are protecting people, and especially older adults, from online scams. Read their conversation below.
How can we strike a balance between encouraging older adults to embrace technology and protecting them from potential risks, ensuring they don't feel excluded from the digital world?
KS: AARP’s research shows a high level of technology use among 50-plus adults. But confidence in their digital skills decreases with age. And two thirds of 50-plus adults don’t think that technology is designed with them in mind.
We need to make technology safer for everyone to use. Defaults that reflect how users are most protected when signing up for a social media account are better than default settings that leave them less protected. Social media platform protections added for young people are generally best for all people. Tools can be incorporated into browsers to identify and suppress or remove fake ads, malicious sites, and fraudulent social media accounts. Emails and texts that incorporate technology verifying the legitimacy of senders helps to safeguard users. AARP research shows that people who trust technology do embrace technology. So, designing safeguards into the default digital offerings will help increase usability, safety and adoption.
AARP Fraud Watch Network (aarp.org/fraudwatchnetwork) is a free resource that equips consumers with up-to-date knowledge to spot and avoid scams and connects those targeted by scams with our fraud helpline specialists who provide support and guidance on what to do next. Anyone can call the helpline at 877-908-3360.
LR: Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. This means accessible and useful for everyone no matter what age you are. The key is making sure older adults have the right information and tools they need to stay safe online. Nobody should feel ashamed about falling victim to scams- some of the smartest people I know- of all ages- have been the victim of an online scam. Online scammers are sophisticated enterprises- they know how to use data to sound convincing and to quickly build trust. But, there are a few signs we can all look out for that can help keep us safe:
- Slow it down - Scams are often designed to create a sense of urgency. Take time to ask questions and think it through. An investment or e-commerce scam will try to pressure you into taking immediate action. Genuine offers or appealing propositions are likely to be available for at least some window of time. In most legitimate situations, you can reach back out to them directly on your own if you’re interested.
- Spot check - Do your research to double check the details you are getting. Phishing scams, for example, can appear identical to companies you do business with. It’s good to double check the exact spelling of a site you are on or phone number you are connected to with documentation or links you’ve received from the business in other official communications. Often there is only one very minor letter difference between legitimate and phishing sites which can be difficult to detect without close examination e.g., “1” instead of “l” or “0” instead of “O”
- Stop! Don’t send - No reputable person or agency will ever demand payment or your personal information on the spot. Impersonation scams can be difficult to spot. End the conversation by telling them you will reach back out directly to resolve the matter. Initiate contact on your own terms when you are ready after doing more research and identifying an official contact number and email.
And, of course, it’s always a good idea to ask for a second opinion: when it comes to financial transactions online, ask a loved one or trusted friend to double check if everything seems ok to them too.
What role do you see artificial intelligence playing in both the evolution of scams and the fight against them in the coming years?
KS: The ability of AI to improve and scale scam tactics is the equivalent of the Industrial Revolution for fraud criminals. For example, criminal enterprises are using generative AI to adopt the appropriate dialect of target communities so that their “grandparent scam” attacks sound more convincing. On social media platforms, criminals who used to make excuses for why they couldn’t video chat with the targets of their romance scams can now use generative AI to enable what appear to be live video chats. Consumers want to see industry prioritize improved fraud controls and detection with AI.
LR: With every shift in technology we see scammers trying to exploit vulnerabilities, coming up with new and more convincing scams. In the U.S., more than 21 million people reported falling victim to fraud last year. Scams are growing both in scale and complexity, but they are not a new problem, and our teams have learned effective techniques over the years to fight back against these bad actors. Our job is to be vigilant and to stay ahead of the evolving and new techniques that scammers are trying to use. And we are also using AI to our advantage, to develop tools to fight against bad actors, including on Gmail, where we can now block 99.9% of scams and on Android devices where we are using AI to automatically detect and flag scam calls. At Google, we are focused on building tools and using new technology to keep our users safe.
What are some common misconceptions about who experiences fraud? How can we debunk them effectively?
KS: Our society tends to believe that only older adults experience fraud victimization - online or offline. Even the scant data we do have on fraud due to under-reporting tells us that younger adults report losses from theft through fraud more often than older adults. So, it’s a myth that older adults are the only targets. The harsh reality is that when older adults are victims, the financial impact can be catastrophic since they tend to have more accumulated assets, from savings to housing wealth. Beyond the financial impact, victims also often experience significant health and emotional impacts. To address the latter, AARP Fraud Watch NetworkTM established a victim support program. These are one hour Zoom sessions with victims and a trained facilitator to address the emotional devastation that so many victims experience.
In October, the Federal Trade Commission published a report which included the agency’s estimate of fraud losses based on its assessment of how under-reported fraud is. Its authors suggest that theft through fraud in 2023 could have been as high as $158.3 billion, rather than the $10.3 billion that was reported. The agency also extrapolated the amount of theft reported from adults aged 60 and over, suggesting that, rather than the $1.9 billion reported, losses could have been as high as $61.5 billion.
LR: There is a misconception that older people are more likely to fall victim to scams than younger people. Our research actually shows us that victimization rates are similar, but older people are more likely to suffer financial loss than younger people. This is why it’s important that older people are informed about these online scams, that they follow the Golden Rules, and that they mitigate risk by using tools like digital payments in Google Wallet, which can help protect payment information and privacy, and products like virtual card numbers when shopping online. It’s also helpful to always have a healthy degree of skepticism when interacting with someone new online. Slow down the process and do some background research with trusted sources.
How can technology companies and advocacy groups like AARP collaborate to create a safer online environment for older adults, especially as technology continues to evolve?
KS: AARP reaches millions of older adults each year with information and education about staying safe online. It is incumbent upon industry to create that safe online environment. We can refer to the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)’s guidance to, for example, reduce the number of exploitable flaws in technology before it comes to market, and with built in multi-factor authentication and single sign on.
By leveraging our combined capabilities, cross-sector partnerships can reach more people with essential educational resources and drive significant change in the online world. Google and AARP have started to collaborate to create more age-friendly, usable, and safe technology by co-designing with Google designers and AARP volunteers. These partnerships are crucial for raising the dialogue and generating more effective solutions to address cyber threats.
LR: Advocacy and awareness are both important. We need to make sure that older people know about the risks of scams and are taking the right precautions to protect themselves. We know that making more people aware of red flags to watch out for and situations to avoid will go a long way. The AARP’s scam-tracking map is also a great resource for people trying to find more information about scams that have taken place in their local areas. Tech companies and advocacy groups should continue to work together to develop resources and training for older adults to build their understanding of the tactics scammers use.
What practical advice would each of you give to older adults and their families to stay vigilant against online scams?
KS: We are in the midst of a fraud crisis, with cyber risk at every turn, so it’s important that we all take proactive steps to shore up our defenses. We all need to use password managers and multi-factor authentication; we should avoid clicking on links because we just can't trust that they aren't nefarious; we should set our device operating systems and antivirus software to update automatically; we should freeze our credit to prevent criminals using our stolen personal information to open accounts in our name; we should have online or app access to financial accounts with strong passwords and MFA to set up activity alerts and view transactions at will.
One piece of advice we should all take forward is to share what we know. If you learn about a trending scam, talk about it with your friends and family. Talk through how it works and what the telltale signs are. Research says if you know about a specific scam you are 80 percent less likely to engage with it. We need a national dialogue on fraud for this reason.
LR: My one piece of practical advice would be - if you didn’t initiate contact, be skeptical. If someone you don’t know contacts you by email, phone, or text message, don’t engage. Report scams to the FTC and also to the company where the scam occurred.