My dad recently fell victim to a cyber attack. It started when someone took over his Twitter account, and soon after, he lost access to his Outlook email. In his email, he was blackmailed for money. I visited him, set up two-step authentication on his email, reset his password, and checked for suspicious devices on his Google account. However, he started receiving login attempt notifications shortly after. Now, his bank account has been compromised with several unauthorized transfers totaling hundreds of euros. I'm worried there might be Trojan software on his phone. My dad isn't tech-savvy, and he doesn't really understand what's happening or if he's done anything wrong. I'm uncertain about the next steps to take to secure his online accounts. We've already frozen his bank account and he's ordered a new card. He also has Instagram and Facebook accounts which seem to be fine for now. Any advice on how to help him?
1 Answer
First off, make sure to change all his passwords across the board and set up two-factor authentication wherever possible. Remove any unknown devices from his accounts and do a factory reset on his phone to get rid of potential malware. These steps are crucial to securing his accounts. Don’t forget, it’s also a good idea to change the passwords from a safe device, one you know is malware-free!
Absolutely! It's really tough to help our elders stay safe online. Maybe get him a password manager to make it easier for him, and introduce him to some community courses for seniors to learn about online safety. That's a great way to keep him informed about phishing and what links to avoid!