'My grandfather lost his money to scammers - the effect was heartbreaking'

A ransomware onslaught stripped distant overmuch of Ian Gardner's independency but his grandson is utilizing his devastating acquisition to marque a difference

When grandad Ian Gardner was targeted by scammers it stripped him of not lone wealth but truthful overmuch more. Hackers infiltrated his computer, wiped his files, and near him feeling isolated and distressed successful his last years.

The ransomware onslaught not lone outgo Ian thousands of pounds but besides robbed him of his independence. The retired mechanical technologist from Coatbridge, adjacent Glasgow passed distant successful 2017 astatine the property of 78, ne'er truly getting implicit what had happened.

His machine had been a lifeline. He utilized it to constitute his memoirs, enactment connected with household via Skype, and store decades of treasured photographs.

The service seasoned had meticulously documented his life, from his work with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers successful Malaya during the 1960s to his years moving arsenic an technologist astatine Glasgow Central Station. His grandson, Jordan Reid, said: "The machine was a immense portion of his beingness until scammers wiped everything."

He continued: "After the incident, helium lone truly utilized the machine to play solitaire. The onslaught wasn’t simply astir losing information - helium mislaid his transportation to truthful galore things, which was heartbreaking.

"He’d been specified a confident, susceptible man, but the scammers truly enactment a dent successful that. When I recovered out, I kept thinking, ‘How galore different families are dealing with the aforesaid thing?’.

“He didn’t archer anyone until his dying days, but we knew thing had changed. It’s truthful communal successful this property radical – they’re embarrassed, and they don’t privation to beryllium seen arsenic victims.”

This concern is acold from unique. A study from Independent Age revealing scams outgo older radical successful the UK an average of astir £4,000 each. Another survey by Age UK revealed that 1.2 cardinal older adults prevarication awake astatine nighttime worrying astir online fraud.

Now Jordan is taking a basal against scammers aft witnessing the devastating interaction it had connected his grandfather. The 32-year-old has been inspired to make a pioneering cybersecurity work aimed astatine protecting radical implicit 50 from fraud.

He said: “It’s not due to the fact that older radical aren’t susceptible – acold from it. It’s due to the fact that scammers cognize wherever the wealth is – implicit 50s power astir of the wealthiness successful the UK. Many over-50s are incredibly tech-savvy, but the tools to support themselves haven’t kept gait with the standard of the threat, and adjacent the astir susceptible individuals tin autumn victim.

"AI is simply a crippled changer for scammers. They tin make fake websites, emails, oregon adjacent telephone calls successful seconds. It’s each designed to exploit the weakest links. From fake transportation texts to convincing telephone scams astir unpaid bills, the tactics are perpetually evolving. It’s not conscionable the fiscal nonaccomplishment — it’s the stress, anxiety, and isolation that follows.”

Driven to make change, Jordan co-founded SENGUARD, a cybersecurity subscription work designed specifically for those aged 50 and over. Partnering with cybersecurity expert, Grant McAdam, helium launched the institution with the extremity of protecting older adults from scammers and ensuring nary 1 other experiences the hardships his gramps faced.

Designed for simplicity and accessibility, SENGUARD offers features similar voice-guided navigation for visually impaired users and clear, jargon-free instructions. The Glasgow-based start-up has already earned important recognition, securing £75,000 from the prestigious Scottish EDGE competition.

This backing volition assistance the institution grow its aviator programs to cities crossed the UK, including London, Newcastle, and Dundee, portion refining its merchandise done real-world testing. Jordan continued: “I anticipation this volition support older adults and assistance families enactment their loved ones.

"It’s not ever casual to bring up online safety, but it’s truthful important. Ask your parents oregon grandparents if they’ve had immoderate suspicious messages. Let them cognize it’s good to inquire for help. Scammers trust connected soundlessness to succeed, truthful starting the speech is the archetypal step.

“This technology is my mode of ensuring nary 1 other has to spell done what my grandpa did. Every clip we assistance idiosyncratic debar becoming a victim, I deliberation of him. His acquisition is astatine the bosom of everything we do. It’s not astir scaring radical - it’s astir making the net a safer spot for older generations by restoring their confidence, protecting their independence, and giving families bid of caput by providing elemental tools to enactment harmless online.”