India’s digital transformation has unlocked unprecedented access to banking, payments, and services. But alongside convenience, a darker reality has emerged—one that disproportionately affects older adults. Digital fraud targeting senior citizens has quietly escalated into a national crisis, exploiting trust, unfamiliarity with evolving technology, and fear-driven manipulation.In recent months, ‘digital arrest’, ‘fake KYC updates’, and ‘police impersonation scams’ have become alarmingly common. Seniors are increasingly being coerced into transferring their life savings or sharing sensitive details under the guise of compliance, urgency, or legal threat. While cybercrime affects all age groups, the elderly remain particularly vulnerable due to lower digital literacy and their likelihood towards trusting individuals with authority. The scale of the crisisThe scale of the problem is staggering. According to India’s Ministry of Finance, high-value cyber fraud cases (those involving amounts exceeding Rs 1,00,000) rose over four times, from 6,699 cases in FY2023 to 29,082 cases in FY2024. These incidents alone resulted in losses of nearly Rs 1.77 billion.Data from the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre paints a grimmer picture. In May 2024, India recorded nearly 7,000 cybercrime complaints every day, with 85% linked to online financial fraud. While official data does not always segment victims by age, law enforcement… Read MoreYourStory RSS Feed
