Scams are getting smarter. Victims are getting younger- and older. And cybersecurity still hasn’t figured out how to help the people who need protection the most. This talk walks through real-world examples of modern scams targeting seniors, kids, and everyday users- and the security gaps they exploit. It covers emotional attack patterns, where technical tools fail, and how defenders can design systems that actually work in the wild. From failed alerts to AI-powered coaching, attendees will leave with practical strategies for protecting people who don’t live in the SOC.

This isn’t just another phishing talk. It’s a human story with technical insight, actionable tools, and a bit of dark comedy. Because when your mom forwards you a scam email… you respond with architecture diagrams and empathy.

Play a real (anonymized) scam voicemail
The $10.3B scam economy (FBI IC3 data)
Why seniors are scammer’s #1 target
Kids as the new frontier: fake scholarships, deepfake DMs
Emotional engineering: urgency, shame, false trust
Where Our Tools Fail
Real case study: when antivirus didn’t help, but a chatbot did
UX breakdown: pop-up warning ≠ protection
Building better: AI coaching, empathy-driven design, gamified training
Red team flips: how you can simulate real scams without being evil

What We Can Do Right Now
Teaching scam spotting like a life skill
“Human-centered threat modeling” explained
Top 5 defensive principles for real-world users
Live demo: calm, clear alert vs. fear-based warning
Open-source checklist: Scam Shield Starter Pack

Audience handout (PDF or QR): “How to explain this talk to your family”

Everyone has a grandma, parent, or friend who’s fallen for a scam. Covers real AI and security tooling while grounded in empathy.