Madam Esah Ali is as digitally savvy as one can get. At 64, she navigates social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok with the same ease as teenagers. She stays up-to-date with generative artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT and even conducts videography classes.

But even for someone well-versed in navigating the digital world, she narrowly avoided becoming ensnared in a scammer's trap four years ago.

“I got a phone call from a so-called immigration officer informing me that I had a parcel from overseas stuck at the immigration office. I was told to pay a sum of money to collect it but when the person started to bargain with me, I realised it was a scam because how would you be able to negotiate the costs of such matters?” she recalls.

With scams getting more prevalent now, Mdm Esah decided to do her part to help others stay safe. She joined Project PRAISE when it was launched in 2022.

Project PRAISE, which stands for Police-RSVP Anti-Scam Engagement, is a partnership between the Ang Mo Kio Division of the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and RSVP Singapore, the National Centre of Excellence for Senior Volunteerism.

Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, Mdm Esah had volunteered with RSVP Singapore but she became more actively involved in 2022.

The non-profit organisation, which engages seniors in volunteerism, works with SPF to keep the community safe from scams. In 2023, there were over 46,000 scam cases that racked up a total loss of more than $650 million in Singapore and these were only the reported ones.

Anyone can fall prey to scams

As an anti-scam advocate, Mdm Esah keeps herself up to date with training sessions conducted by the police and Google. 

She has presented talks to small groups ranging from 15 to 50 people at mosques, activity centres and community centres, using resources provided by the police and illustrating with examples from everyday life. The audience members are mostly seniors interested in learning more about digital security. 

The objective of these presentations is to make them aware that there are many scams around, some of which can deplete their life savings. Contributing her time to these talks reminds Mdm Esah to stay vigilant too. 

She says that many people think that they will never get scammed. “It’s not about being greedy but the temptation is there. They think it will never happen to them but even IT-savvy people get scammed too,” she notes.

Mdm Esah adds that as the older generation is often targeted by scammers, they need to stay even more vigilant “in an increasingly IT world”.

She adds: “In the past, if people asked you for money, you won’t give it away. But now with IT devices, you give your personal information so easily and it’s like giving away money, something you won’t do face to face.”

This is why during her talks, she always advises seniors not to share confidential information readily online or over the phone. Also, if they see a link in their phone messages, they should not click on it. 

“You need to know who you are making payment to. Don’t take things for granted, even if it’s a donation,” Mdm Esah says.

A lifelong learner and volunteer

Mdm Esah has been volunteering since her school days. 

The mother of four, who has six grandchildren, lost her youngest daughter two and a half years ago. She is taking care of the latter’s three young kids now. As their guardian, she wanted to contribute back to the community as much as they had assisted her during her time of difficulty. She also wanted to show her grandchildren that if there is a will, there is always a way. 

“I want them to know that no matter how difficult life is with its challenges, we must always take it positively and that life is not only about you or about money. This is why even when I am busy working and looking after them, I make time to be involved with the community,” Mdm Esah says.

Her family is happy to see her always actively involved as this lets her expand her social circle and share her knowledge and experiences.

“I like to study and gain knowledge so I can equip myself with more skills and share them with others,” she notes.

Although she already has two diplomas, a degree in business administration and a master's in education, training and development, Mdm Esah is fond of lifelong learning. During the pandemic, she found herself using up all her SkillsFuture credits to upskill and further her studies and interests.

On how she finds the time and energy to do this much at her age, she says it’s a matter of how you manage your time. 

She adds that seniors like her can stay active by volunteering – not only will it keep them busy, it also helps them give back to society.