Senior citizens and the general public are invited to learn more about protecting themselves against online fraud and Internet scams at a presentation by Indiana University Northwest Professor of Marketing Subir Bandyopadhyay, Ph.D. Bandyopadhyay’s discussion is planned for 10 a.m. to noon, Friday, Dec. 19 at the Maria Reiner Center, 705 East 4th Street in Hobart. He will be assisted by his student, Paul Ficker.
Senior citizens and their friends and family will learn tips to help them be discerning when it comes to identifying suspicious emails and using social media sites to stay in touch with family and friends, share photos and videos, access coupons and much more without becoming prey to Internet fraud.
“Recent surveys indicate that more and more senior Americans are actively participating in the social media. Unfortunately, social media and the Web are fraught with many dangers as well,” Bandyopadhyay said. “Seniors are particularly vulnerable to frauds and scams than younger citizens because criminals believe that they are socially isolated, are not aware of the anti-fraud measures available, and generally are not skillful enough in using the web and the social media.”
To help senior citizens avoid falling victim to such fraud, Bandyopadhyay received a grant from the Indiana Campus Compact (ICC), with matching funds from the IU Northwest School of Business to undertake this effort. The project entails developing a social media guideline for seniors and communicating directly to seniors on this topic.
Indiana Campus Compact (ICC) is a network of 40 college campuses that supports higher education’s efforts to develop students into well-informed, engaged citizens. Providing programs, services and resources, ICC serves as a catalyst for campuses and communities to improve people’s lives through service-learning and civic engagement initiatives.
For more information about the presentation and to reserve a seat, please contact the Maria Reiner Center at (219) 947-1864 or mrcprograms@cityofhobart.org.
About Indiana University Northwest
As one of seven Indiana University campuses, IU Northwest leads the region as the premier, urban campus dedicated to serving the needs of more than 6,000 students from the state’s most diverse and industrialized region. Committed to helping its local Northwest Indiana communities thrive, IU Northwest is best-known for providing a personal, quality and affordable education close to home. IU Northwest positions its students to be leaders with more than 70 undergraduate, graduate and pre-professional degree options available from the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Health and Human Services, the School of Business and Economics, and the School of Education. The campus is also host to IU School of Medicine-Northwest, which actively involves students in research and local healthcare needs through its four-year medical doctorate program. For more information, please visit www.iun.edu.