On Tuesday 18 October on Bel RTL, SeniorLife appeared on Thomas de Bergeyck's programme as part of Digital Week to talk about the use of the internet by older people.

Claude was joined by Paul de Theux (Média Animation) and Olivier Bogaert, the commissioner of the Computer Crime Unit, to talk about the dangers of the internet for young and old alike.

For older people, we have identified 8 of the most common types of scam:

• False formal notice: an e-mail that looks official (from a solicitor, bank or lawyer asking you to open a link because you have made a mistake, committed an offence or forgotten something).
• Competition scams: for example, you've won millions, but to get them you have to pay commission.
• Invitation to a funeral: again, a link to open to obtain details of the death of someone close to you.
• Fake investments 
• Sentiment scams: the person flirts with you for weeks and then asks you for money, initially in small amounts. Or they ask you to do something sexy on camera, only to threaten later to show your photo or video to the public if you don't pay them.
• Fake email from a family member or friend: you open the link or send an email and the person collects your personal data.
• Fishing or phishing: a message resembling a real organisation, asking you for personal data.
• Fake associations (sometimes disguised as offers to volunteer)

These techniques are all designed either to extort money from you or to collect your personal data for resale to a third party.

How can you protect yourself?

Always use common sense, as Claude and Olivier remind us. A tempting offer or an overly attractive person should alert you.

Remember to check the comments on sales sites, those of sellers as well as buyers... And trade as often as possible face to face, hand to hand...

Never leave the network you are on. Criminals will always try to isolate you by inviting you to communicate via another medium (email, telephone). That way, you are no longer being monitored. On our social network, our algorithm is able to spot fake profiles and may delete them to protect you.

If it is a recognised organisation, the email you are offered is not a Gmail or Hotmail address (for example), but always from the organisation. It is best to phone the organisation in question to check the information you have received before making any transactions with your card or your personal details. Favour well-known organisations.

Never accept remote control of your computer. Ask a computer expert for help if you have technical problems.

As often as possible, consult fraud prevention websites such as www.belgium.be for computer crime, www.Safeonweb, or www.police.be.

And if you are a victim, file a complaint. Even if it is difficult to be "taken in", you are a victim of manipulation and absolutely not guilty of anything.

There are many and varied scams out there, and you need to remain vigilant because they evolve quickly and criminal "ciber" are inventive. On our social network, we see a great deal of goodwill: when there's a doubt about a person or an ad, members get involved and talk about it in their posts. This is combined with our alarm and monitoring system.

Enjoy your surfing in complete safety!