Technology has become a part of modern living. People of all ages are interacting with smartphones, tablets, computers, and online processes. This opened a lot of opportunities for digital transactions and opportunities to occur. But on the flip side, scams have also taken their activities online. The targets: millennials vs boomers vs gen z.

Why focus on these three generations? It’s because these are the generations that are predominantly occupying the digital space. They are also the ones who have active accounts and subscriptions to various brands and services. These groups are the main targets of phishing scams lurking around.

In this blog, we will talk about how phishing works with modern technology. We will also discuss how boomers and millennials can learn from Gen Z about anti-phishing techniques. Which generation is the least concerned about privacy and data protection? Who is most vulnerable to phishing? Continue reading to find out more.

Age Generation Gap Vs Phishing Attacks

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A Phishing attempt is where an attacker targets their victims based on their behavior. This is why you can find different types of phishing attacks affecting various generations. 

Boomers for one, tend to receive more robocalls under the guise of healthcare providers. Millennials tend to lose money over transactional communicational fraud. Gen Z typically experiences phishing through P2P payment scams.

Boomers

Aged 53 to 71, boomers often fall victim to financial fraud. These include medical fraud, investment fraud, contractor fraud, reverse mortgage fraud, and bereavement fraud. 

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Millennials

Aged 22  to 40, millennials are vulnerable to smishing, public Wi-Fi hacks, job scams, tech support scams, and online shopping scams.

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Gen Z

Aged 21 and under, can fall victim to IRS impersonation scams, social media scams, federal student tax scams, and cybersecurity scams.

Compared to Gen Z, there is data of about 11% of the boomer participants and 34% of millennial participants that have reported becoming a victim of fraud. These participants from the study have stated they have lost money due to some form of fraud or phishing attack. 

There are different forms of fraud or types of phishing that exist in more modern forms. These are usually used depending on the kind of targets the attackers choose to use them on. We will discuss them further below.

Spear Phishing

Spear phishing is a type of attack through email that targets individuals or organizations. It is also called an electronic communication scam. The attacker sends the victim an email and leads them to click on a site filled with malware.

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Smishing

A type of attack that happens mostly on mobile devices. The goal of this attack is to gather the victim’s data. Victims are tricked into giving personal details through compelling messages sent through text.

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Vishing

A type of attack that uses phone calls for committing fraud. The goal is the same as smishing but it is done through calling the victim and attempting to grab their personal information. Once they obtain the information, they will use it for their financial gain.

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Deceptive Phishing

One of the most common phishing scams. This is done through an impersonation of the attacker, either of a trusted person or company, to steal personal data from victims. They urge victims into divulging information they wish to steal from the victims.

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Pharming 

A combination of phishing and farming and is an online scam on websites. The website traffic is deliberately manipulated to steal confidential information. Fake websites are created to trick victims into putting in their personal information.

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10 Ways That Gen Z Can Teach Boomers and Millennials About Phishing

Boomers and millennials are among the most affected when it comes to phishing victims. Gen Z is also part of the pool of victims, but they are not as affected more than their older counterparts. 

Below are 10 ways that Gen Z can help teach boomers and millennials when it comes to fighting phishing attempts.

1. Be Perceptive About Technology
2. Less Inclined to Use Email
3. The Need to Receive Education About Online Safety
4. Taking More Precautions Against Being Monitored Online
5. Being More Anonymous Online (The use of VPNs)
6. Due Diligence to Increase Online Security
7. Practicing Cyber Security Safety
8. Frequency in Social Media
9. Understanding the Risk of Using Corporate Emails for Holiday Online Shopping
10. Using Corporate Emails for Social Media Logins (Personal Use)

Gen Z is a generation growing up with technology, but at the moment, millennials still outnumber their generation. Even though they are the youngest, some are already entering the workforce. Being exposed to technology has made them aware of (some but not all) types of phishing scams.

Boomers are a more traditional generation, and millennials, despite being born in different generations and technology they still tend to fall for these scams. In a poll, about 44% of millennials do believe that their companies keep their data private.

Efficient Anti-Phishing Techniques That Can Help Any Generation

There are anti-phishing techniques that can help deter any generation from falling victim to scams. These techniques, even though they may not look grand, are very important. Take for example employees of an organization, conducting anti-phishing programs or training for them helps change a lot. Below are some types of anti-phishing techniques for the workforce:

• Cybersecurity Training
• Security Awareness Programs
• Educational Modules That Apply to Employees (to Protect Employees from Online Scams)
• Offering Programs from Third-Party Providers
• Internal Security Resources Awareness

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In Summary

Each generation gets affected by phishing and it’s normal to have different reactions from them. What boomers and millennials can take away from Gen Z is to be more aware of who they interact with online.

Prevention of phishing attacks is still a better strategy than falling victim to it. The problem of handling the effects of phishing can be heavy to some. This is why handling the problem at its root is always the most powerful option to prevent being a scam victim.

For more information on how to handle phishing attacks, you can join anti-phishing training or seminars in your company. You can also read eBooks about anti-phishing or inquire about any anti-phishing programs from your boss or company.

Don’t wait until it’s too late, sign up for an anti-phishing training course now. Keep yourself and your loved ones safe from modern scammers.