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Right ClickDigital safety for older people
A software initiative

One right click between an older person and a very convincing lie.

Right Click is the technology arm of an existing digital-safety programme. It builds, tests and demonstrates a working prototype that flags scam messages, advertisements, links and unknown calls in plain language, and connects the user to someone they trust, with their consent, when it matters.

Try the risk demo See what it does
Fig. 1Flagged message, as shown
Unknown sender · 09:41

"Dear customer, your account will be suspended within 2 hours. Reply with your OTP to avoid losing access. — Security Team, National Bank"

1Manufactured urgency ("2 hours")
2Request for a one-time password
3Impersonation of a bank
AssessmentHigh risk — do not reply
01

The problem, stated plainly

These scams don't trick people because they are careless. They trick people because they are engineered to create urgency and confusion — and older users are too often alone at the exact moment the pressure peaks.

Bank & OTP scams

A caller who sounds official asks for a one-time password, a PIN, or "verification" of account details. No bank will ever do this.

Courier scams

A message about a parcel that can't be delivered, with a link that collects personal and payment information.

Fake prizes & advertisements

Unrealistic offers, fake lotteries, countdown timers and pressure to act before thinking.

Phishing links

Addresses that look almost right — one letter off a real bank — built to steal credentials.

Investment & account scams

Guaranteed returns that don't exist, and "your account is compromised" scare tactics.

No one nearby

The first fifteen minutes are when most damage happens. Frequently, nobody the user trusts is reachable in that window.

02

What the prototype does

The tool translates workshop lessons into working software. Its job is to warn about risk — it never claims certainty, and the person always makes the final decision.

Scam message detection

Flags impersonation, manufactured urgency, requests for OTPs or PINs, unusual payment instructions and known scam phrasing.

Fake advertisement detection

Assesses advertisements for suspicious addresses, unrealistic offers, pressure tactics and requests for personal or payment information.

Suspicious link analysis

Warns when a web address shows the characteristics of phishing or impersonation. It warns — it never declares anything "safe".

Unknown call screening

A simulated workflow assessing the first 15–20 seconds of an unknown call for scam indicators, wherever the operating system allows.

Three honest risk levels

Low risk, suspicious, high risk — in plain words. Never "definitely safe", never "definitely fraud". Uncertainty is stated openly.

Emergency contact, by consent

With explicit user consent, a high-risk event can send a controlled alert to one designated, trusted contact.

Built for older users

Large text, plain language, minimal menus, high-visibility warnings and one obvious next action per screen.

Privacy by design

Developed and tested on simulated and anonymised examples only. No OTPs, PINs, passwords or banking credentials are ever collected.

03

Try it yourself

Three sample messages, the same rule-based logic the prototype uses in its first version. Select one to see how an assessment reads.

Right Click · assessment demoSimplified rule set
Which message arrived?

Demonstration logic only. The finished prototype is measured against a formal test set, not judged by eye.

04

Four tracks, one programme

The software strengthens the existing Right Click programme — it never replaces the workshops. Four parallel tracks connect education, technology and family support into a single intervention.

I.

Family Digital Safety Network

Each participant nominates one trusted family member or caregiver. That person receives a short guide to common scams and — only with the participant's explicit consent — joins the emergency-alert workflow. Tested with simulated high-risk scenarios before any real use.

  • Simple registration for participant and contact
  • The participant controls what is shared, if anything
  • Connected directly to the alert prototype
II.

Right Click Verify

A supervised WhatsApp-style channel where participants can ask about a suspicious message, advertisement or link. A standard response protocol identifies the warning signs, advises against sharing credentials, and points to the official institution.

  • Tested with screenshots and simulated scams
  • Clear operating hours; not an emergency service
  • Never requests passwords, OTPs or PINs
III.

The Scam Library

A structured, growing knowledge base of anonymised scam examples — the same material used in workshops and in software testing — with the warning signs and the safest response recorded for each.

  • Categorised by scam type
  • Warning signs and response per example
  • Linked to the detection test dataset
IV.

Scam of the Month

A one-page, print-and-WhatsApp-ready bulletin that converts current scam patterns into plain guidance: what the scammer typically says, three or four warning signs, and the one correct action — stop, don't share, verify independently, report where appropriate.

  • First edition ready for distribution
  • Reusable template for future editions
  • Written for reading, not for fear
05

How it's judged

Measured with evidence, not demonstrated with screenshots. Seven questions the prototype must answer honestly.

  • a.Detection accuracy. How many known scam examples are correctly identified?
  • b.False positives. How often is legitimate mail wrongly flagged?
  • c.False negatives. How many scams get through undetected?
  • d.Risk communication. Can users tell low risk from suspicious from high risk?
  • e.Usability. Can an older user find the correct next action without assistance?
  • f.Response time. How quickly is an assessment returned?
  • g.Emergency workflow. Does the alert fire only through the consent mechanism, and does it say something useful when it does?
  • h.Safety review. Permissions, data handling, readability and known limitations checked end-to-end.

Working principles

The rules the team builds by, taken from the project plan itself.

  • 1.Prototype first. A demonstrable MVP beats an unrealistic production promise.
  • 2.Safety by design. Communicate uncertainty; never claim certainty.
  • 3.Human in the loop. Users and trusted contacts make the final decision.
  • 4.Consent first. Alerts and data collection only under explicit user control.
  • 5.Privacy by design. Simulated and anonymised data throughout development.
  • 6.Accessibility and evidence first. Every feature must be understandable — and measurable.
06

What gets delivered

Seventeen deliverables across technology, community and communication tracks — each one either demonstrated live or documented.

  1. Working Right Click MVP
  2. Elderly-friendly interface prototype
  3. Message, link and fake-advertisement detection demonstration
  4. Simulated unknown-call screening demonstration
  5. Consent-based emergency-contact alert demonstration
  6. Scam and legitimate communication testing dataset
  7. Testing and performance results
  8. User feedback and usability findings
  9. Technical architecture and implementation notes
  10. Privacy, safety and limitations statement
  11. Family Digital Safety Network prototype
  12. Right Click Verify channel and response protocol
  13. Initial Scam Library with categorised examples
  14. First Scam of the Month bulletin and reusable template
  15. AI-assisted awareness video, full and short versions
  16. Final impact report with screenshots
  17. Final presentation and live demonstration

The whole model, in one line

EducationWorkshops teach the warning signs
Legal awarenessRights and reporting options explained
TechnologyThe prototype flags what practice missed
Family netA trusted contact, with consent, when risk is high

Before the scam — detect and warn. During — clear guidance. After — reporting help.