In an era where cybercriminals increasingly prey on vulnerable seniors, one teenager from Texas has taken matters into her own hands. Sixteen-year-old Tejasvi Manoj, a student at Lebanon Trail High School in Frisco, launched Shield Seniors, a platform designed to help older adults recognize, analyze, and report online scams. Her mission began when her own grandfather narrowly avoided falling victim to fraud.
A Family Scam Sparks Action
In February 2024, Tejasvi’s 85-year-old grandfather received what seemed like an urgent email from a relative, requesting $2,000 for a sudden debt. Convinced of its authenticity, he was ready to transfer the money until his son urged him to verify the request. A quick phone call revealed it was a scam. The close call shocked Tejasvi, who immediately researched senior-targeted frauds and discovered the alarming scale of the problem. According to the FBI, seniors lost nearly $5 billion to online scams in 2024, a 32% increase from the previous year.
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Building a Digital Shield
Motivated by the incident, Tejasvi created Shield Seniors, a website with four key functions: Learn, Ask, Analyze, and Report. The “Learn” section educates seniors on safe internet practices, while “Ask” offers a chatbot that provides simple, jargon-free cybersecurity answers. The “Analyze” feature allows users to upload suspicious emails or texts, which the AI-powered tool evaluates with 95% accuracy. Finally, “Report” directs victims to relevant authorities like the FBI, AARP, or the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Designed with accessibility in mind, the site features large fonts and a calming blue theme to ease users’ anxieties.
Recognition and Future Vision
Tejasvi’s initiative quickly gained recognition. She received an honorable mention in the Congressional App Challenge, delivered a TEDx talk in Plano, and was honored as TIME’s Kid of the Year 2025. Beyond coding, she actively conducts seminars at senior living facilities, patiently guiding older adults through the complexities of online safety. With ongoing fundraising, she plans to upgrade her AI engine, expand her reach, and ensure that seniors everywhere can browse safely.
For Tejasvi, this is more than just a project, it’s a mission. “A lot of people are embarrassed when they get scammed,” she says. “But this is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s about learning and making sure it doesn’t happen again.”
With Shield Seniors, this teen innovator is proving that age is no barrier to protecting others from digital dangers.