Stay Safe: 5 Practical Security Tips for Adults 60+

Jeremy Springer
5 days ago
4 min read

Older adults are targeted relentlessly—by phone, text, email, and even postal mail—because scammers know retirements and nest eggs are worth chasing. The good news: you don’t need fancy tools to be hard to scam. These five practical steps will cut real risk without turning your life into a tech project.

Elderly couple smiling and high-fiving in a cozy living room. They hold papers, with a laptop in front. The mood is joyful.

1) Lock Down Your Logins

Use long, unique passphrases and turn on two-factor authentication (2FA).

Make every important account (email, bank, brokerage, Social Security, Medicare, insurance) use a different passphrase—think four or five random words you can remember.
Enable 2FA using an authenticator app or hardware security key. Avoid SMS codes when possible; text messages can be hijacked through SIM-swap scams.
Tech that helps: A reputable password manager stores passphrases, fills them in for you, and can share emergency access with a trusted family member or executor.

Pro Tip: If an account does not support 2FA, lobby the provider—or consider moving to one that does for critical services.

2) Guard the Money Movement

Slow down anything involving a transfer, refund, or “urgent” payment.

Never pay by gift card, wire to a “crypto kiosk,” or send money to “secure your account.” Real institutions don’t demand that.
Before moving funds, independently confirm requests using a known phone number (not one in the email/text).
Set transaction alerts (email/SMS/push) on all bank, card, and brokerage accounts so you see charges in near-real-time.
Consider freezing your credit at Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion; it blocks new accounts opened in your name.
Tech that helps: Most banks let you nickname trusted payees, set daily transfer limits, and enable “out-of-band” verification (they call you or require an in-app approval for large moves).

Pro Tip: Keep a separate, low-balance “online spending” account for e-commerce. If compromised, damage stays contained.

3) Defend Your Devices (and Make Updates Boring)

Updates and backups are your quiet superpowers.

Turn on automatic updates for your phone, tablet, and computer. Criminals rely on people delaying patches.
Use a reputable antivirus/anti-malware tool on computers and let it run automatically.
Back up important files using the 3-2-1 rule: 3 copies, 2 different media, 1 off-site (a cloud backup counts).
Set your devices to auto-lock after a few minutes and require a passcode/biometric to unlock.
Tech that helps: Enable device-finding/remote-wipe (Find My iPhone/iPad/Mac; Find My Device on Android/Windows) and full-disk encryption (usually on by default for modern phones and Macs; enable BitLocker on Windows Pro).

Pro Tip: Use a standard (non-admin) account for everyday computer use. It blocks many drive-by installs.

4) Outsmart Social Engineering

Scammers trigger fear and urgency—recognize the script and you win.

Phishing (email), smishing (text), vishing (voice): All try to push you to click, call, or pay fast.
The IRS, Medicare, banks, and “tech support” do not threaten arrest, demand secrecy, or take payment by gift cards/crypto.
When in doubt, hang up and call back using the number on the back of your card or the official website.
Tech that helps:
- Turn on spam call filtering on your phone.
- Use email filters that flag suspicious messages and hide images/links by default.
- Add a “VIP” inbox for known contacts so everything else gets extra scrutiny.

Tax-Season Angle: Watch for fake “IRS refund” texts and “CPA verification” emails. Your accountant won’t ask for your full SSN or driver’s license by text.

5) Secure Your Home and Public Networks

Keep your internet door locked—and separate your guests and gadgets.

Home router: Change the admin password, enable WPA2-AES or WPA3 Wi-Fi security, and update the router firmware twice a year.
Create a guest network for visitors and smart home/IoT devices (cameras, doorbells, TVs). Keep your phones and computers on the main network.
Outside the house, avoid public Wi-Fi for banking or taxes. Use your phone’s hotspot or a reputable VPN when you must use public Wi-Fi.
Tech that helps: Many modern routers offer automatic updates, device lists (so you can spot unknown gadgets), and simple network segmentation.

Pro Tip: Put your printer and smart TV on the guest network, too. If one gets hacked, it won’t reach your laptop.

Bonus Tip: Build an “ICE” (In Case of Emergency) Digital Dossier

Create a simple, tidy folder or binder with:

A list of key accounts (bank, brokerage, insurance, Medicare, Social Security, utilities) and how to access them.
Trusted contacts (family, attorney, financial advisor, tax professional).
Recovery codes for 2FA (print and seal in an envelope).
Password manager emergency access enabled for your trusted person. Store a printed copy in a safe and a digital copy in an encrypted container or your password manager’s secure notes. This protects you—and makes life much easier for loved ones if you’re unavailable.

Quick Practical Security Tips Checklist (15–30 Minutes)

Turn on 2FA for email, bank, and brokerage.
Freeze your credit at all three bureaus.
Enable automatic updates and confirm backups are running.
Set account alerts for charges, transfers, and failed logins.
Rename your Wi-Fi, change the router admin password, and create a guest network.
Print and seal your recovery codes; enable password manager emergency access.

Red Flags to Treat as a Scam—Every Time

“Pay now by gift card, wire, or crypto to avoid arrest/account closure.”
“Don’t tell anyone—we’re investigating.”
“Tap this urgent link to verify your refund/Medicare/benefits.”
Caller spoofs a familiar number and pressures you to act fast.

If You Think You’ve Been Scammed

Call your bank/card issuer and freeze or close the account; dispute charges.
Change the passwords to email and finances; revoke unrecognized sessions.
Report to your local police (for documentation), FTC (ReportFraud.ftc.gov), and, for tax-related identity theft, IRS (Form 14039 Identity Theft Affidavit).
Consider a credit freeze if not already in place and monitor statements closely.

Staying safe online isn’t about mastering technology—it’s about adding a few smart speed bumps so crooks move on. Put these practical security tips in place, and you’ll make yourself a far less attractive target while keeping day-to-day life simple.

Legal Disclaimer: This post contains general information for taxpayers and should not be relied upon as the only source of authority. Taxpayers should seek professional tax advice for more information. This information was current at time of posting; we are not responsible for updating this or any blog post/article for subsequent changes in the law or its interpretation.