Latest news with #Bilge
Daily Mirror
08-07-2025
- Daily Mirror
Brits 'forced to act as security guards' for elderly relatives online
A study of 1,000 UK adults with an older relative found 60% have had to step in to help them stay safe online, with one in three admitting the person is prone to risky habits A recent survey of 1,000 Brits has uncovered a worrying trend among the elderly, with 41% of respondents who have an older loved one believing they could be duped by scammers. A full 81% have elder family members, and 30% acknowledge their risky digital behaviour. Topping the list of unsafe practices are clicking on dubious links (68%), answering calls from unknown callers (60%), oversharing personal details (55%), using simple passwords (51%), and responding to unsolicited texts (47%). The study, commissioned by Avast, highlights a significant concern about the vulnerability of Britain's aged population in the face of evolving tech scams. Leyla Bilge, Global head of scam research, expressed concern: " Technology evolves so quickly that we often focus on its impact on younger generations, but we can't ignore how it affects everyone." She emphasised the importance of assisting elders in digital protection: "Supporting our parents and grandparents with online safety can be challenging, but it's incredibly important." The findings also showed that 26% of older Brits have encountered scams, while 21% have been victims of financial fraud, not to mention other serious threats like data breaches and identity theft. This has resulted in 75% of Brits fretting over their older relatives becoming scam targets. Seniors have also fallen prey to questionable emails, phone calls, and text messages, with 24% being tricked by fake websites. Despite the risks, nearly half (46%) of the elderly still resort to jotting down their passwords on paper, as reported by their family members. A worrying 24% of people are reusing the same passwords across all their accounts, while 17% are writing them down in a note on their devices. Leyla Bilge from Avast shared some sage advice: "Think of the safety guidance you would get on a flight – put on your own oxygen mask before helping others." She continued, "The same applies to Cyber Safety: learn the tips yourself first and then you can use that knowledge to help guide and inspire others." Bilge emphasised the impact of education, saying, "Even a single conversation could make a big difference in ensuring our older loved ones stay safe and connected in the digital world." Echoing the sentiment, Jorij Abraham, managing director of the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA), highlighted the importance of collective vigilance. "As online threats become more sophisticated, it's vital that we treat cyber safety as a shared responsibility across generations." He added, "A simple conversation can help prevent a devastating scam and empower families to navigate the digital world more confidently together." To bolster online security, here are FIVE ESSENTIAL TIPS: 1. Bolster Password Practices: Craft long, distinct passwords for each account – aim for 15-20 characters blending lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Steer clear of personal details and consider a password manager. 2. Recognise Warning Signs: Exercise caution with unexpected emails, texts, or calls purporting to be from banks, the NHS, or tech support. Scams often instil a false sense of urgency to provoke hasty decisions. 3. Get to Grips with Common Cons: It's crucial for older adults to familiarise themselves with prevalent scams, including phishing, bogus tech support, romance frauds, grandparent cons, sham software updates, and NHS swindles. 4. Install Robust Security Measures: Safeguard your phones, computers, and tablets with security software that offers scam defence, like Avast featuring Scam Guardian, and opt for a secure web browser. Regularly update your devices and applications. 5. Turn Cyber Safety into a Group Activity: Establish a "phone-a-friend" strategy and consult with a trusted individual if you're uncertain about the authenticity of a message or request.
Al Jazeera
23-04-2025
- General
- Al Jazeera
‘I grabbed my cat and ran': Istanbul panics as earthquake hits
Istanbul, Turkiye – For five terrifying seconds, buildings shook, shelves toppled, and panic rippled through Istanbul, Turkiye's cultural and economic heart. The ground beneath Istanbul trembled at 12:49pm (09:49 GMT) on Wednesday, sending millions scrambling into the streets as a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck in the sea off the city's western coast. Several smaller aftershocks have followed, with magnitudes of between 3.5 and 5.9. No major damage was reported according to authorities, although Istanbul Governor Davut Gul said that at least 151 people were injured after jumping from heights to escape in a panic. The quake, centred near Silivri in the Sea of Marmara, revived painful memories of past disasters and left residents grappling with fear over what might come next. In the upscale Nisantasi district, 69-year-old Bilge was at home when her building suddenly rattled. 'People in the building screamed 'earthquake!' and ran outside. My hands wouldn't stop shaking,' she told Al Jazeera, describing crowds spilling onto the sidewalks, clutching phones to check on loved ones. Nearby, coffee shop workers rushed out into the street. 'We were just calling our families,' one said, as aftershocks continued to ripple across the city. The earthquake coincided with National Sovereignty and Children's Day, a public holiday, leading to the cancellation of events and heightened public anxiety. Parents were seen walking through the streets with their children still dressed for celebrations. 'I was on the seventh floor, just about to make lunch,' said Zeynep Karatas, 41, a freelance designer from Sisli who had come to Nisantasi's Macka Park with hundreds of others who wanted the safety of an open space. 'The walls in my building cracked, the glasses clinked. I didn't wait – I grabbed my cat and ran,' said Karatas. She joined dozens of neighbours already gathered outside. Some clutched pets, others their phones, trying to contact relatives. 'We all ran out together. Strangers were helping elderly people down the stairs. I felt like crying,' she added. Some in the park are anxious, and say they will stay awake as long as possible at night. Others are planning to pack a small bag in case they need to leave their home quickly. Turkiye's emergency authority AFAD has warned residents to stay alert, as aftershocks can continue for hours, even days. While initial reports indicated little structural damage, the psychological impact was immediate. 'Everyone was talking about 2023,' said Baran Demir, 62, referring to the devastating earthquake that killed more than 53,000 people in southern Turkiye, and another 6,000 people in Syria. 'You could see it on people's faces, that same fear. My building didn't collapse then, but the memory came rushing back.' In Nisantasi, 35-year-old cafe worker Mehmet was helping usher customers outside when the aftershocks hit. 'Everyone stayed calm, but the mood shifted fast. We just kind of held our breath. We thought this was the big one we've been waiting for.' Residents of Istanbul have long feared a major earthquake hitting the city, as has happened in the past. Earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 7 have hit Istanbul in 1509, 1766 and 1894, causing thousands of deaths and large-scale destruction. A 1999 earthquake in Izmit, approximately 100 kilometres (62 miles) east of Istanbul, killed more than 17,000 people. The city lies near the North Anatolian Fault, a major fault line that regularly triggers earthquakes. Improved building codes in recent decades are designed to counteract the effect of earthquakes in the densely populated city, but many are still worried. 'I'm scared to sleep tonight,' said Gokhan, an elderly man who lives alone. 'What if there are strong aftershocks tonight, I can't move quickly,' he says with a wry smile. 'If it's my time, it's my time.'
CBS News
27-03-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Video shows Tufts graduate student Rumeysa Ozturk detained by ICE on way to Ramadan Iftar dinner
Tufts University graduate student Rumeysa Ozturk , a 30-year-old Turkish national, is being held in Louisiana, nearly two days after she was detained by federal immigration agents in Massachusetts. Surveillance video shows Department of Homeland Security officers arresting Ozturk Tuesday evening outside her off-campus apartment in Somerville. She was surrounded by six ICE agents as she was walking to the school's interfaith center to break the Ramadan fast at an Iftar dinner with friends. In the video, an agent is seen taking her phone out of Ozturk's hands before she is handcuffed. The officers were in plain clothes, wearing masks and driving unmarked cars. A neighbor can be heard in the recording asking, "Is this a kidnapping?" Homeland Security has accused Ozturk of being pro-Hamas and said that her visa had been terminated. Her friends say she's being punished for co-authoring an op-ed in the Tufts Daily campus newspaper last year, calling on Tufts to "acknowledge the Palestinian genocide" and divest from Israel. There was no mention of Hamas. Tufts University President Sunil Kumar called the video of Ozturk's arrest "disturbing" in an email to campus Wednesday night. "We are in touch with local, state, and federal elected officials and hope that Rumeysa is provided the opportunity to avail herself of her due process rights. The university is actively working to support the Tufts community as it mobilizes its collective resources and contacts to ensure our students' safety and wellbeing," Kumar said. Ozturk's attorney, Mahsa Khanbabai, said there have been no charges filed against her client. On Tuesday night, a federal judge had ordered law enforcement to not move Ozturk out of Massachusetts without two days' notice. But she was moved to an ICE processing center in Louisiana, more than a thousand miles away, Homeland Security said Wednesday. Hundreds of people protested the arrest at a rally at a park near campus in Somerville Wednesday night. Reyyan Bilge, a psychology professor at Northeastern University in Boston, is Ozturk's friend and had her as a student in Turkey. Bilge said she's known Ozturk for several years and called the accusations "baseless" and "libelous." "It's so surreal and heartbreaking," Bilge said. "She has never mentioned Hamas, let alone being either anti-Semitic or being anti anything." Tom Hanson contributed to this report.
