Caught in web of deceit: Digital illiteracy leaves Guwahati's elderly vulnerable

It was a typically bustling day at Laxmi Cabin in Kamarpatty, where customers queued up for the shop’s popular saah-singora. Amid the rush, 50-year-old staffer, Dhaneswar Rajbongshi received a phone call from a man placing an order for 20 singoras, claiming he had already made an online payment and would collect the order shortly.

Moments later, the caller rang back—this time asking for a refund, stating he no longer wished to buy the savouries.“The person never paid,” said Dixita Mahanta, granddaughter of the shop’s proprietor.

“He had merely sent a text message with the payment amount—but no money was transferred. Thankfully, we didn’t fall for it,” she added.

The incident is one of many surfacing across Guwahati as digital platforms increasingly become part of everyday life—from hailing cabs and buying groceries to settling bills and staying connected.

But as convenience rises, so too does vulnerability—and the need for widespread digital literacy has never been more pressing. 

Digital platforms increasingly become part of everyday life—from hailing cabs and buying groceries to settling bills and staying connected (Photo: @333maheshwariii/ X)

Hackers target elderly

The lack of digital literacy is most deeply felt among the elderly in Guwahati, who are frequently targeted by cybercriminals preying on those unfamiliar with the intricacies of online platforms. With a growing number of senior citizens joining social media and relying on smartphones for everyday transactions, the threat has only intensified.

Sixty-year-old city resident Dr Bandana Mahanta recalled a recent incident when she needed to send a parcel to her son. She contacted a delivery agent from a courier and express service company who had previously assisted her.

“He told me he would come home to collect the parcel and that I only needed to pay Re 1 as an advance,” Mahanta said, adding that he repeatedly asked whether her phone number was linked to her digital payment app.

“Later, he said I would receive an OTP on my phone, which I had to share with him to proceed with the delivery. That’s when I grew suspicious and disconnected the call,” she added.

Concerned, Mahanta reached out to the courier company directly—only to learn that they neither collect packages from people’s homes nor request any advance payment.

The elderly population are often a target because they are not exposed to digital platforms as much as the younger generations (Representational Image)

Recently, in another troubling incident highlighting the rising threat of cybercrime in the city, two teachers of National Public School (NPS) found their phones hacked, rendering them unable to access several apps on their devices.

Trishna Talukdar, one of the victims, recounted how she received a message from a former colleague claiming that a verification code had been mistakenly sent to her phone. Believing it to be a genuine request, Talukdar shared the code—only to find herself locked out of her messaging account shortly afterwards.

“When I called my colleague, she told me her phone had also been hacked,” Talukdar said. She immediately lodged a complaint with the police, and after three to four days, her account was finally restored.

However, the damage had already been done. During the time her account was compromised, the hacker impersonated her and began messaging her students and their parents—demanding money, in some cases as much as Rs 20,000.

Protecting ‘digital’ seniors

Assam, like much of the world, is grappling with a steady rise in cybercrime, recording increasing numbers over recent years. Recent government data reveals that the state’s two dedicated cyber police stations, along with associated outposts, have registered over 31,000 cybercrime cases and recovered nearly Rs 20 crore of victims’ money.

Sub-Inspector Chitramoni Das of the Panbazar Police Station’s cybercrime cell highlighted the pressing need for targeted digital literacy initiatives, particularly for elderly citizens unfamiliar with fast-evolving technology.

Cybercrimes are difficult to detect due to stringent privacy policies of digital platforms & multiple layers of privacy of the dark web & deep web (Representational Image)

“They come from a different era. Unlike younger users, they haven’t grown up with this technology, making them especially vulnerable to cyberattacks. It is our responsibility to help them gain confidence and safely navigate these digital tools,” Das said.

Unlike traditional crimes, cybercrimes are more difficult to investigate due to stringent data privacy policies upheld by tech companies and the very nature of cyberspace, which includes the dark web and deep web — areas beyond easy law enforcement access.

“Police cannot patrol digital spaces in the conventional sense, as data is protected under privacy laws. Crimes occurring on the dark and deep web are particularly hard to detect, track, or prevent due to multiple layers of privacy,” Das explained.

Unless we engage with suspicious content, it is generally difficult to hack into our phones (Representational Image) 

For the elderly, Das advised caution against clicking on unknown links or downloading unfamiliar files. “It is generally difficult to hack into phones or accounts unless we interact with suspicious content,” he said.

Stressing on “cyber hygiene”, he said that it involves steps to maintain the security and health of the devices and systems, preventing online threats.

“This includes using strong passwords, avoiding unknown links or files, and never sharing OTPs or bank PINs with others. Failure to follow these precautions makes accounts and devices vulnerable to hacking,” Das added.