Age is Just a Number: Exploring the Cybercrime World Across Generations

"Age is just a number" – Aah! Don’t we love and live by this maxim? Many of us would hit +1 on this as we grow older. However, in the world of cybercrime, age is not just another number. In fact, it’s a crucial element in the cybercriminals' strategy.

Cybercrime and Age: A Deep Dive

Hard to believe? I was sceptical too until I started my deep research on this topic. Building SyberNow from the ground up led me down many uncharted paths. I realized that to make a positive difference in the world, it's time I take matters into my own hands. Time is running out, and hackers are mastering the “age” game. And yet – are we even aware that our age is being used against us?

Who’s the Most Vulnerable to Cybercrime?

Let’s first dispel the myth that age has nothing to do with cybercrime. Human emotions may be universal, but our daily routines and interactions with technology vary widely across age groups. For simplicity, let’s categorize these groups:

1. Kids (17 and younger)

2. Young Adults (18 to 29)

3. Adults & Parents (30 to 59)

4. Older Adults & Grandparents (60 and above)

Now we will look at each of these age groups, the cybercrimes that are associated with them & let’s see… if we can make some sense.

Kids (17 and Younger): The Digital Natives

Kids or Gen Z or Gen Alpha, who are born with mobile devices in hand, are frequent targets of cybercriminals. They face threats like cyberbullying, fake surveys, events, contests, and too-good-to-be-true offers like free iPhones or pizza coupons. These young minds, driven by peer pressure and the desire to fit in, fall prey to these scams easily.

Cyberbullying is a rampant issue, exploiting the emotional and social pressures kids face.         

Online auctions also lure them with the latest gadgets and trends. The psychological angle is crucial here – kids have many wants and needs, influenced by wealthier peers, making them easy prey for cybercriminals. They might enter a fake contest simply to win something that boosts their social status among friends.

Young Adults (18 to 29): Career Starters

Just starting their careers, young adults are highly susceptible to online income scams promising quick and easy money. Tasks like watching YouTube videos, sharing Instagram reels, or subscribing to channels are hot news, and many fall for these simple yet deceptive offers.

Financial pressure is a significant factor here – early career struggles, social pressures to succeed, and the lure of extra income make them vulnerable.         

Scams like debt waivers, fake listings for cheap yet high-end products, and even task frauds (like promoting videos) exploit their financial needs and social aspirations. The drive to secure loans for motorbikes, smartphones, or even a new home often leads them into these traps. High-risk behaviours, such as experimenting with drugs or cryptocurrency, also make them targets for drug parcel scams and other fear-based manipulations.

Adults & Parents (30 to 59): The Prime Targets

According to statistics, adults and parents, typically aged 30 to 59, face the most significant financial losses from cybercrime. With substantial savings, investments, and assets, they are prime targets for business impostors, investment frauds, and stock trading scams. These scams lure them with promises of high returns, fake franchises, and secure investments.

Job scams are also prevalent, appealing to their desire to secure a better future for themselves and their children.         

Middle age often brings loneliness, making this group susceptible to romance scams and sextortion. These emotional manipulations can lead to devastating consequences, including financial ruin and, in extreme cases, suicide. The desire for a secure retirement, a better lifestyle, and providing for their family drives them into the hands of cunning cybercriminals.

Older Adults & Grandparents (60 and above): The Tech-Challenged

Despite their limited technological proficiency, older adults are not immune. Online payments and shopping expose them to OTP scams and fixed deposit scams.

Living alone, they are vulnerable to deepfake and voice cloning scams, where cybercriminals impersonate loved ones to create panic and extract money.        

The lack of tech-savviness, combined with a trusting nature and the desire to help their loved ones, makes them easy targets for these sophisticated scams.

The Corporate Impact of Cybercrime

Most corporate employees fall into the 21 to 60 age range, and they carry their own personalities, sensibilities & vulnerabilities into the workplace. The pandemic blurred the lines between personal and professional lives, with more flexible remote working options.

Kids have easy access to parents’ smartphones, and home devices like TVs, Amazon Alexa, WiFi routers, car GPS, smartwatches, and other IoT devices are all interconnected.

This interconnectedness extends to office laptops, PCs, and printers, creating multiple entry points for cyber threats.        

In the office environment, employees carry devices such as smartphones, smartwatches, and even smart eyewear, all connected to different networks & the data is stored somewhere in the cloud. Despite controlled IT environments, human vulnerabilities persist, making employees key factors in the threat scenarios. Most cybercrimes stem from “innocence” or ignorance of the threat vectors and the consequences of using technology in every aspect of life.

Many employees are actually “unaware” that they could be threats, making education and awareness crucial.        

Cybercriminals meticulously use age as a variable to design and execute their strategies, for example, a young employee might be targeted differently compared to a middle aged or older employee. Organizations should be aware of this fact & plan their awareness campaigns accordingly.

Conclusion

Age influences the types of cyber threats individuals face, making it imperative to tune our defenses accordingly. Awareness of one’s specific vulnerabilities can be the key to staying safe in an increasingly digital world.

As Aristotle wisely said, "Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom." Recognizing the role of age in cybercrime can help us protect ourselves, our loved ones & organizations better.

By understanding these age-related vulnerabilities, we can take proactive steps to secure our digital lives and stay one step ahead of cybercriminals.

"In the end, you don't so much find yourself as you find someone who knows who you are." – Robert Brault

Uplift your security culture. If you want to know how we can help – contact us at [email protected] or check SyberNow's Cybersecurity Awareness Trainings services Security Awareness Training for Employees - Sybernow

Visit our website www.sybernow.com for more blogs related to cybersecurity culture, security awareness to mindfulness related topics.

- by Pooja Shimpi & Sameer Gemawat