Third-Age Persons as Targets of Online Fraud
Third-Age Persons as Targets of Online Fraud

Author(s): Tomislav Levak, Domagoj Stanković
Subject(s): Media studies, Criminology, Gerontology, ICT Information and Communications Technologies
Published by: Sveučilište Josipa Jurja Strossmayera u Osijeku, Ekonomski fakultet u Osijeku
Keywords: internet fraud; older people; media; media manipulation; third-age people;
Summary/Abstract: Over the years, the media has become an indispensable part of daily life, shaping people’s perceptions of the world. Today, it is difficult to imagine a society without some form of media, given their power and prevalence. Even within the global trend of population aging, Croatia stands out as one of the European countries with the oldest population. One of the main problems for older people is social isolation and loneliness. The development of technology and the emergence of the internet have enabled social media to create platforms for online connection. By using social media, especially social networks, older people can fulfill economic and social roles and reduce social isolation and loneliness. For this reason, the number of older people online has increased in recent years. On the other hand, although the use of social media and social networks has many positive effects for older people, the negative effects that these platforms can have should not be overlooked. Recently, internet fraud has been gaining ground, leading to an increase in its various forms. Due to the physical and psychological changes that occur in people because of the aging process, older individuals are particularly vulnerable when it comes to online scams. This chapter aims to determine the extent to which older people are exposed to the increasingly widespread internet fraud and whether they are more frequent victims than younger people. In the theoretical part, the concepts of media, new media, third-age people, and internet fraud are explained and illustrated with concrete examples from Croatia. In the research part, indepth interviews were conducted

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