Cybersecurity firm helps educate Utah seniors about latest threats

OREM — With seniors considered one of the most vulnerable groups when it comes to cybercrime and online scams, a cybersecurity firm is doing what it can in Utah to help the elderly become more of a hardened target.

For roughly the past two years, local Arctic Wolf consultants have been teaming with the Mountainland Association of Governments to train groups of seniors on the latest tactics scammers are using and how people can best protect themselves, their information and their money.

"There is a knowledge gap at times," said Tanner Meeves, a senior security consultant for Arctic Wolf. "They haven't experienced technology as much, so when we can come in and help them find tips and tricks of what to look for, it goes a long way for them to just have a little confidence that they can respond to illegitimate attempts to communicate with them."

Recently, consultants and Mountainland representatives presented to a small group at the Orem Public Library.

"We try to get as much education out there as possible, and so we're really thrilled to partner with Arctic Wolf to get this information out there to seniors," said Essen Skabelund, a state health insurance assistance program coordinator for Mountainland Association of Governments.

Meeves said artificial intelligence is increasingly being used in these scams to make calls sound more authentically like relatives, and also to tailor the approaches.

"With AI, it's becoming more curated, so they know about our senior citizens' banks, they know about our senior citizens' software, they know what email they use," Meeves said.

Close call examples

Stories of scams are as prevalent as they have ever been — including some suggesting that loved ones are in danger or are in a tight spot and need money.

Hildred Cobia, who attended the Orem Library event, said she and her husband had encountered such scams.

"We've had calls like that — someone who was supposed to be our son," Cobia said. "My husband immediately got on the telephone, called (our son's) wife, and he was home."

Mike Johnson, Arctic Wolf's manager of security consultants, said his dad had experienced something similar.

"My own father has been called over the phone — we call it 'vishing,' voice attempts to try to trick somebody," Johnson said. "(The scammer) called pretending to be a grandchild that had been in an accident and needed money. He knew that hadn't happened, so luckily, we were able to avert disaster, but it affects all of us on some level."

Helpful tips

Meeves said that while technology has changed and made scams only more real, red flags largely remain the same, including the urgency behind a suspicious message or phone call.

"Every illegitimate communication is going to involve some form of urgency," Meeves said. "It's going to make us think we've got to do something right now, and what I want people to recognize is there is always time."

Meeves urged people in those situations to take a step back, reach out separately to a trusted friend or family, or, in the event of a supposed inquiry from law enforcement or a bank, to independently look up the number for the institution and reach out that way to verify.

"They are very modern in their attempts, and they look very real," Meeves said. "It's important for us to stay on the front of that, helping (seniors) realize what the modern techniques are and when they're being used."

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