Silver Safe and Secure

Hello and welcome to Silver Safe and Secure!

We understand that the digital world can feel overwhelming, especially with the increase in (very sophisticated!) online scams targeting older adults. It's not just about losing money; these scams can lead to feelings of betrayal, embarrassment, anxiety, and a loss of trust for both victims and their family members.

As a Texas-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in 2023, we at Silver Safe and Secure are committed to educating and empowering older adults to navigate the online world with confidence and security. Our goal is not only to prevent financial loss but also to safeguard your emotional well-being by providing you with the tools and knowledge to protect yourself.

Our Approach: Hands-On and Heartfelt

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we offer free, hands-on digital literacy workshops designed specifically for older adults. Our sessions are crafted to be engaging, straightforward, and practical.

We focus on real-world scenarios, helping you recognize common scams, understand online safety practices, and build the confidence to use digital tools without fear.

We believe that learning should be empowering and enjoyable. Our instructors come from diverse backgrounds; they are patient, knowledgeable, and dedicated to ensuring that every participant leaves with a stronger grasp of digital safety. We primarily host workshops in Texas, Colorado and Japan.

On average, attendees have reported improvements ranging from 118% to 150% in their scam-spotting abilities after attending just a single workshop.

But beyond the numbers, the true measure of our success lies in the stories of individuals who have regained their confidence and peace of mind. People like Mary, who came into one of our Texas workshops feeling “so stupid for falling for such an obvious scam” - the embarrassment and anxiety stopped her from reaching out to her daughter for help, because “I didn’t want her to think less of her mom.” We helped her work through her feelings and understand that being scammed is never your fault.

Or John, who brought in a stack of letters he had been receiving in the mail about his social security benefits to one of our workshops. We helped him apply the “common principles of a scam” framework to the letters, and he was able to independently realize that the letters were a scam.

Join Silver Safe and Secure in Making a Difference

We invite you to be a part of our community. Whether by attending a workshop, volunteering your time, or supporting our mission through donations*, your involvement makes a difference.

Together, we can create a safer digital world for older adults.

*If you'd like to support our mission by donating or sponsoring a workshop, please reach out to us directly through our contact form. Due to the nature of our nonprofit's work, we’ve become a target for retaliatory scams and fraud attempts (which, on the bright side, is proof that our work is changing lives). To ensure your support is secure and goes directly toward helping older adults, we’re unable to accept online donations through our website.

Phishing and Email Scams

The scammer uses fake sites or publicly available information to trick you into clicking or downloading something, to steal personal data and/or money.

Quick Tips

  • Verify the source. Is it a familiar name with a new phone number or email?

  • Do not click unknown or suspicious links.

  • Contact the organization or individual directly. For example, if your bank appears to call you from an unknown number, hang up and call them back on the number from their website. If your daughter calls you “from a new phone number,” write down the new number, hang up, and call her old number first.

Romance Scams

Scammers pretend to want a friendship or relationship with you and, after gaining your trust, they will ask for money because of an urgent problem. It will start with small amounts or favors, and gradually increase.

Quick Tips

  • Slow down and question. If something seems odd, ask a family member for a second opinion.

  • Never send the money. If you have already sent some, it is gone. Do not send more.

  • Research and verify. Do they have any other social media profiles that verify their identity? Do their photos appear on Google search?

Tech Support Scams

Scammers pretend to work for the government or a tech company and tell you there's an issue with your device. The scammer will send a request to control your computer, then lock it, take personal information, and steal passwords.

Quick Tips

  • Know your service providers. If your internet provider calls you to report a problem, get the incident number, hang up, and call them back on the phone number from their website.

  • Do not grant remote access, even if it seems more efficient and easier.

  • Companies will almost never call you to report a new problem. If someone calls you to tell you about a new, unknown problem, it is almost always a scam.