Following a unfortunate loss of her mother's life savings to a deceptive online scheme, a cybersecurity professional decided to abandon her career and dedicate herself to aiding others in maintaining their safety online.

In the heart of Singapore, a small business named White Byte was born in 2020. The brainchild of Frances Yong, who previously led a global fraud risk team at Standard Chartered Singapore, the company started as a humble venture in her bedroom.

However, Yong's personal life took a turn for the worse in 2020, during the pandemic. Her mother, Boey Yut Wah, who is 80 years old, was tricked into sharing her banking details under the pretext of a lucky draw. The scam remained undetected until the bank contacted Boey to inform her about the missing funds.

The scam occurred while Boey was in Malaysia and Yong was in Singapore. The scammers emptied a total of five bank accounts belonging to Yong's mother, taking a sum equivalent to a six-figure amount in Singapore dollars. They left a negligible amount of around RM10 (S$3) in each account, totaling approximately RM50, a move that initially went unnoticed.

Due to travel restrictions, Yong could not visit her mother for almost two years from 2020 to 2022. Upon learning about the scam, Yong rushed to the bank. The money taken was savings accumulated by Yong's mother over her 50-year career as a primary school teacher and later, a kindergarten principal.

The scam involved a deception of presenting Boey with a prize. However, it served as a catalyst for Yong to channel her professional expertise into combating online fraud. White Byte has since evolved into a digital literacy consultancy offering customized workshops to protect vulnerable segments of the public and businesses from scams and online harms.

Yong's journey serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of digital safety, especially for the elderly. As we navigate an increasingly digital world, it is crucial that we equip ourselves with the knowledge to stay safe online.