Abstract
In a report from March 2024, the national bank in Sweden states that frauds through so-called social engineering, or spoofing, by telephone have become one of the most common types in the country, generating hundreds of millions of Swedish kronor yearly. The victims are often older adults. The fraudsters frequently claim to be calling from the bank, misleading the victims into signing something with BankID, an electronic identification system in Sweden with a 94% usage rate among smartphone owners. In an interview study with Swedish citizens – to date 10 men and 11 women aged 75–89 – focusing their Information and Communication Technology (ICT) competence, many stories are told about how they try to protect themselves from these kinds of frauds. The results are ambiguous: first, they blame the banks for not giving citizens enough protection against this type of crime; second, they are utterly surprised that other seniors fall for this kind of social engineering, saying “How can they be so stupid and naïve?”; third, they practice all sorts of advanced strategies not to be fooled by anyone, leading to increased suspicion and feelings of vulnerability. However, BankID is not only used to solve bank errands; it is the individual key to all public authorities’ websites, blurring the distinction between different everyday tasks online. Building on theories that challenge technique-optimistic “digital by default” political strategies in society, this talk acknowledges a certain kind of existential media vulnerability (Lagerkvist 2022) among older adults, seen as a digitally vulnerable group.
Presenters
Mia Marie HammarlinAssociate Professor, Communication and Media, Lund University, Skåne län, Sweden
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Social and Cultural Perspectives on Aging
KEYWORDS
SPOOFING, FRAUD, DIGITAL VULNERABILITY
