FPM - Marketing | MICA - Ahmedabad
FPM in Marketing from MICA, Ahmedabad; MBA in Marketing from S. V. Institute of Management, Gujarat
PhD - Cognitive Science | IIT - Gandhinagar
Financial scams make up a portion of cyber security concerns, both because of their impact on the economy and individual victims. In 2024, Indians lost around 22,845 crores to financial fraud, pointing to the urgent need for defensive measures. While financial scams do not discriminate in terms of who they target, there are particular demographics that are more at risk than others. This project focuses on the older adult population of India, who make up one of the most exploitable groups to financial fraud. We are moulding our project into a behaviorally-informed solution by proposing a multidisciplinary approach to fraud detection and prevention. The goal of this project is to integrate aspects of each of our majors, mainly making up finance, marketing and psychology. Most of our research is going to involve
interviews with direct victims of financial scams, but we will couple that with extensive secondary research mapping theories and data from cyber security websites. Our project is entitled: Dhanrakshak: A Behavioral Toolkit to Reduce Susceptibility to Digital Financial Scams among Older Adults in India.
The expected output of Project Dhanrakshak is to produce a comic-book style illustrative magazine that includes emulated situations similar to the conditions under which scams occur. Not only does it intend to describe the situation, but also how to identify and defend. Our aim is to make the characters and illustrations culturally significant and relevant in order to promote financial resiliency by equipping older populations with pre-emptive techniques, rather than having to resort to damage control. Dhankrakshak is meant to be a more in-the-moment solution, rather than informing the target audience that scam is a reality. Going beyond the first layer of awareness and equipping them with the necessary skills to intervene, will be our primary goal. This helps address weaknesses at an individual level but also attempts to address the larger danger of fraud victimization.
With the help of The Dhanrakshak Toolkit, we aim to provide older adults with not just awareness or warnings regarding scams but honest and efficient emotional and cognitive support during incidents like such. The design of the toolkit follows a three-part system including a visual booklet, pre-bunking cue cards, and a STOP plan. The toolkit focuses on familiar scenarios, relatable characters, and simple
steps which would aid in guiding the elderly.
