Cyber Safety for Elders: Senior citizens were the prime target from the over 7,000 cybercrime cases nationally reported every day in 2024, as per Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre. The Supreme Court also noted on 2 November 2025 that more than ₹3,000 crore have been scammed by fraudsters from victims, mostly drawn from the elderly population, through ‘digital arrests‘.
Amid a sharp surge in online fraud targeting senior citizens, Silver Age Foundation for Elders, held a Masterclass on Cyber Safety for Elders on Saturday, November 15 in Bhubaneswar. The session was attended by more than 120 senior citizens from different parts of Bhubaneswar.
This is the second masterclass, after a masterclass on Artificial Intelligence for Seniors was held online in June 2025. The program is a part of Tech4Elders program of Silver Age Foundation which aims to create smart elders. Odisha based IT company CSM Technologies Ltd. is providing support under CSR program. Our support is towards digital inclusion to ensure that our parents and elders are not left out from reaping the benefits of technology” said Ms. Lagna Panda, Director CSM Technology.
The initiative aims to help elders recognise cyber threats such as phishing calls, UPI scams, identity theft and fake customer-care fraud, which have become increasingly sophisticated in recent years. Experts say that seniors—who often rely more on digital services post-pandemic—face higher vulnerability due to limited familiarity with evolving online risks.
Shri. Arun Bothra, Additional Director General of Police, Odisha, and founder India Cares Volunteers educated the participating elders on the tools and practices for digital safety. Appreciating the initiative by Silver Age Foundation he said, “awareness is the strongest defence. One alert elder can prevent an entire family from falling prey to cyber fraud” .
The master-trainer for the session, Shri. Yogesh Sapkale, Deputy Editor of Moneylife Foundation, Mumbai trained all the participants how scammers could be identified and the various techniques adopted by them. Moneylife Foundation set up by Ms. Sucheta Dalal (who broke the Harshad Mehta scam) works on financial frauds and digital safety. Mr. Sapkale is one of India’s leading experts on cyber frauds and well known for his column on technology and techniques adopted by fraudsters.
When Silver Age Foundation’s member Ms. Swarn Chandra, shared her traumatic experience of digital arrest they audience were highly emotional and moved. She was scammed in 2023 and with the help of Police recovered most of the money.
The masterclass was also supported by Jindal Foundation, Jindal Steel and Prelude Ventures. In the coming days, the Foundation will take up a wider community engagement program on digital and cyber safety for elders across Bhubaneswar.
A prayer for wellness and safety Manasa Satatam Smaraniyam by the Silver Age choir, sung by 10 of its members who are senior citizens, was a highlight of the program. A thematic skit by artists from Kalakar Theatre group and directed by Jagadish Prasad Maharana was performed to create an imprint on the minds of elders.
