Three common scams targeting elderly residents of Moscow by phone fraudsters have been identified.

Fraudsters often call elderly residents of Moscow posing as law enforcement officers, "bank security services," or with health-related offers. Every third subscriber receives up to five fraudulent calls per month. This was revealed during a presentation of a joint study by Beeline and the "Moscow Longevity" project.

Analysts aimed to understand the older generation's views on cybersecurity and cyber hygiene. Additionally, they sought to learn what protective tools against fraud are utilized by seniors.

— "Moscow Longevity" is an integral part of Moscow's socio-cultural landscape. Our research shows that citizens of various ages give high marks to the project and believe it positively impacts their quality of life. We also observe that the older generation actively participates in the digital environment, which brings certain risks. Therefore, together with providers and partners of the project, we continuously work on enhancing digital literacy training programs. In these programs, older Muscovites not only gain knowledge in modern technologies and security but also develop psychological resilience. As a result, project participants possess a higher level of digital culture, well-being, hygiene, and literacy, and those who have attended "Moscow Longevity" classes for over six months are less likely to fall victim to fraud. Moreover, older citizens can always reach out with any questions to the Moscow Longevity centers, which have been assisting in the processing of over 70 state electronic services since last year,” said Vladimir Filippov, Deputy Head of the Department of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of Moscow.

Experts emphasized the need for an inclusive approach to cybersecurity for the older generation. This is due to the rapid development of technology.

— Fraudsters are becoming increasingly aggressive, using fear and manipulation, which makes our older population vulnerable. We need to focus on the simplicity and clarity of information so that seniors can easily understand how to protect themselves online. Additionally, in situations where someone encounters fraud, it is crucial to have the ability to seek help from a real person. Beeline's rapid response team is ready to provide support and offer necessary advice. To minimize the risks of encountering scammers, we have provided all our clients with a basic version of a virtual assistant that blocks fraudulent and spam calls at no cost,” noted Petr Alferov, Director of Fraud Management and Revenue Assurance at PJSC "VimpelCom" (Beeline).

The study involved 1,148 subscribers over the age of 55. 87% of survey participants consider the issue of phone and internet fraud to be relevant. Every second respondent (59%) notes that irritation from fraudulent calls outweighs their fear.

Improving digital literacy remains a crucial issue for the older generation: nearly a third of respondents (32%) receive up to five calls from scammers each month. The three most common fraud schemes are calls from "law enforcement" (58%), from "banks" (46%), and related to "health" (28%).

Overall, older Muscovites believe that the issue of phone fraud is solvable. However, they are concerned about financial losses and debt obligations, as scammers often disguise themselves as official services. This complicates decision-making on how to respond to such calls.

Older individuals often do not recognize the necessity for additional protective measures, such as installing antivirus software or regularly changing passwords. They are genuinely surprised when they hear about the importance of using diverse passwords for each account. At the same time, it became clear that participants in "Moscow Longevity" are more informed about these matters.

ONLY NUMBERS

Main protective measures taken by older individuals:

- not opening links and files from SMS messages (57%);

- not answering calls from unknown numbers (52%);

- using caller ID (50%).

56% utilize the operator's "fraud call blocking" service.

32% have restricted actions through State Services and banks.

36% install antivirus software on their smartphones.

31% wish to learn about protection against fraud.