- [Narrator] As we become more and more reliant on technology and online interactions in our daily lives, it's important to be aware of cyber threats that may try to play on our good nature.

- One common scam that we see a lot these days is someone will call some grandparents and pretend to be a grandchild and say, I'm in trouble.

Maybe they'll text them and they'll say, I'm in trouble.

I need some money.

Don't tell my parents, please, I'll get in all kinds of trouble at home.

And so the grandparent being generous and sympathetic will transfer the money to them.

But of course it won't turn out to be their grandchild at all.

It'll be a cyber criminal who's masquerading or spoofing and scamming them out of that money.

And again, they're preying on people's generosity and people's goodwill.

(dramatic music) - My personal grandparents were financially exploited through an internet scam and there was a lot of shame there.

They were really uncomfortable talking about it, 'cause it made them feel like vulnerable, gullible, like they couldn't protect themselves.

But I think it's important to know that really anybody could fall for something like this that doesn't matter about your education level or your background, because scammers are really good about playing on your emotions.

And when they do that it doesn't give people time to process and really think through some of the situations that they're involved in 'cause they're purely acting on emotion.

- [Narrator] Learn more about related scams at these websites.

- [Announcer] Made possible by a grant from the West End Home Foundation Senior Trust Digital Initiative.