Liberator in Action: Tejasvi Manoj

Almost daily, we hear about unsuspecting people being conned in one way or another. But when a scammer tried to trick her grandfather out of two thousand dollars, 16-year-old Tejasvi Manoj was moved to take action. 

Keeping her grandfather’s close call in mind, Tejasvi learned quickly how common and devastating these crimes are. Seniors lose billions of dollars every year to fraud, often because they didn’t grow up with the technology that scammers exploit. Within a year, she built and launched Shield Seniors, a website that helps people over 60 recognize online scams, review suspicious emails or messages, and, when fraud is detected, directs them to the right places to report it.

Her mission was personal. She wanted her grandparents and others like them to feel more comfortable and protected online. Thanks to her, thousands of older adults will have a new ally looking out for them in the digital world.

In recognition of her developing the Shield Seniors website, TIME named Tejasvi Kid of the Year. Youtropolis honors her as a young liberator in action who used her gifts to protect others and make the online world a safer place.