Government of Pará guides elderly and disabled people to protect themselves from virtual crimes
Project promotes training on virtual security and prevention of financial scams
The Government of Pará, through the State Secretariat for Racial Equality and Human Rights of Pará (Seirdh), started on this Monday, 18, at UsiPaz Cabanagem, the project "Protect+ the Elderly and Disabled Person in the Virtual Environment", aimed at preventing cyber crimes and promoting the safe use of technology among the elderly and disabled individuals.
Inspired by the "Viva Mais Cidadania Digital" initiative from the Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship (MDHC), the project seeks to adapt and apply good practices of digital inclusion focusing on the local reality, offering discussion circles, lectures, and informational materials. The main goal is to empower the elderly and disabled individuals to identify and protect themselves from increasingly common scams in digital channels such as WhatsApp, social networks, emails, and phone calls. The project also aims to increase knowledge about reporting channels and the rights of elderly and disabled individuals in the face of property and financial violence.
A participant at UsiPaz Cabanagem, Nice Viana, 67, shared that she has already gone through a difficult situation related to virtual crimes. Once, she received a phone call informing her about a supposed kidnapping of her daughter and asking for a sum of money in exchange. However, days before, she had watched a report with guidance on the subject and was able to identify that it was a scam.
"I really liked this initiative because I have been through this. I enjoy attending these lectures. We learn a lot, we are well guided. For example, I didn't know certain addresses, where we should go to make reports, and today we received that information," she emphasized.
Maria Benedita, 64, also a participant at UsiPaz Cabanagem, was not as fortunate. She fell for a scam that caused her not only financial losses but also several troubles in seeking a solution that she has not yet obtained. She believes that if she had attended the Protect+ lecture earlier, the story would have been different. "I really liked this meeting here today because, even though I don't have social networks, I acquired information that was previously unknown to me. Now I know how to prevent and defend myself. If I had attended the lecture a little earlier, I wouldn't have fallen for the scam," she stated.
In addition to practical guidance, Sílvia Tavares, manager of Elderly Protection at Seirdh, emphasizes that the project aims to create a permanent space for listening and exchanging experiences among the elderly, disabled individuals, and the professionals involved, contributing to strengthening digital citizenship and reducing violence against this segment of the population. "Many of these scams occur because victims do not have prior access to knowledge about how they happen. Therefore, Protect+ is also a tool for digital empowerment. We want elderly and disabled individuals to feel safe using technology to their advantage and not be afraid of it. Digital inclusion is also a right and needs to be treated as part of the policy for the protection and promotion of human rights," she emphasizes.
For Jacinete Teixeira, responsible for the Management of People with Disabilities at Seirdh, guidance is essential when it comes to prevention. "The guidance is to always be attentive to the links received, phone calls from people posing as loan providers, or family members, especially asking for Pix, borrowed money, from known individuals. The first step is to report, to file a police report at specialized police stations," she comments.
The project "Protect+ the Elderly and Disabled Person in the Virtual Environment" is also set to visit six more hubs of the UsiPaz: Bengui on the 20th, and Jurunas/Condor on the 27th, in addition to Marituba, Ananindeua, Icuí-Guajará, and Guamá, which will have their dates announced later.
