From Grandfather’s Close Call to Global Guardian: How Tejasvi Manoj is Shielding Seniors from Digital Predators 

Inspired by her 85-year-old grandfather’s close call with a sophisticated email scam, 16-year-old Tejasvi Manoj from Frisco, Texas, channeled her expertise as a coder into creating Shield Seniors, a comprehensive platform designed to protect older adults from online fraud. Recognizing that seniors are a prime target for cybercriminals—as evidenced by FBI reports showing billions in annual losses for those over 60—Tejasvi developed a user-friendly website featuring four key tools: an educational “Learn” section, a simple “Ask” chatbot for quick questions, an AI-powered “Analyze” tool to evaluate suspicious messages with 95% accuracy, and a “Report” function to connect users to the proper authorities.

While balancing numerous extracurricular activities, including achieving the rank of Eagle Scout, Tejasvi earned national recognition like TIME Magazine’s Kid of the Year 2025 for her work. Her vision is to expand Shield Seniors’ reach through fundraising for better AI and in-person workshops, ultimately empowering seniors to navigate the internet safely and independently.

From Grandfather’s Close Call to Global Guardian: How Tejasvi Manoj is Shielding Seniors from Digital Predators 

In the quiet of a car driving home from a Scouting trip in February 2024, a 16-year-old’s world shifted. Tejasvi Manoj of Frisco, Texas, wasn’t just a high school student or an accomplished coder in that moment; she became a witness to a silent epidemic playing out in real time on her 85-year-old grandfather’s phone. An email, seemingly from a distant relative, pleaded for urgent help: a $2,000 debt needed to be settled immediately. Her grandfather, a man she loved and respected, was ready to send the money without a second thought. It was only her father’s swift intervention and a quick verification call that unveiled the harsh truth—it was an elaborate, emotionally manipulative fraud. 

This personal brush with digital danger didn’t just fade into a family anecdote. For Tejasvi, it was a catalyst. It sparked a mission to confront one of the fastest-growing crimes of the modern era: the systemic targeting of older adults by cybercriminals. From that moment of familial protection emerged Shield Seniors, a comprehensive platform dedicated to educating, empowering, and safeguarding a generation that built the world for those now trying to exploit them. 

The Perfect Target: Why Seniors Are in the Crosshairs 

To understand Tejasvi’s mission is to first grasp the staggering scale of the problem she is fighting. Seniors are not merely incidental victims of online scams; they are the primary target for a ruthless digital economy. The statistics paint a chilling picture: 

• According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), 2024 saw nearly 860,000 reported online scams, with potential losses soaring over $16 billion. 

• Within that colossal figure, individuals over the age of 60 accounted for losses of $5 billion—a jaw-dropping 32% increase from the previous year. 

• The Federal Trade Commission adds even more grim context: from 2020 to 2024, financial losses exceeding $10,000 among seniors quadrupled, while catastrophic losses over $100,000 increased sevenfold. 

Why this demographic? The reasons are complex and often cruel. Many seniors possess a lifetime of accumulated savings, making them lucrative targets. They often come from a generation built on trust and verbal agreements, leaving them less instinctively suspicious of official-looking emails or urgent phone calls. Furthermore, the rapidly evolving digital landscape can be intimidating, creating a knowledge gap that fraudsters are all too eager to exploit. They use sophisticated tactics, from “phishing” emails impersonating family members in distress (like the one aimed at Tejasvi’s grandfather) to fake tech support calls, fraudulent lottery wins, and romance scams that prey on loneliness. 

Building the Shield: A Platform for Empowerment 

Motivated by this alarming data and her own family’s experience, Tejasvi channeled her expertise into action. Shield Seniors is not just another cybersecurity website; it is a thoughtfully designed ecosystem built with its specific audience in mind. It moves beyond fear-mongering to offer practical tools and education, fostering independence rather than dependence. The platform is built on four core pillars: 

• Learn: Knowledge is the first line of defense. This section demystifies internet safety with clear, accessible guidance. It breaks down concepts like creating strong passwords, managing privacy settings, and, most importantly, identifying the hallmarks of common scams. The language is simplified, avoiding technical jargon, and focuses on real-world examples like fake charities, grandparent scams, and fake government impersonators. 

• Ask: For someone unfamiliar with tech, even a simple question can be a barrier. Shield Seniors’ user-friendly chatbot is designed to overcome this. It provides concise, clear answers—typically in two sentences or less—to immediate questions. This instant, patient resource ensures seniors don’t have to feel embarrassed or wait for a family member to get help. 

• Analyze: This is the technological heart of the platform. Here, users can upload suspicious emails, text messages, or links they receive. An advanced AI engine then analyzes the content with a documented 95% accuracy rate. Crucially, it doesn’t just give a simple “safe” or “scam” verdict. It explains why the message is suspicious, pointing out red flags like strange sender addresses, poor grammar, or a sense of manufactured urgency. This educational feedback loop helps users become more savvy with every check. 

• Report: Many scams go unreported because the process feels daunting. Tejasvi streamlined this critical step. The “Report” section directly connects users to the appropriate agencies—such as the FBI’s IC3, the AARP Fraud Watch Network, the SEC, or the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau—providing clear pathways to officially report fraud and help authorities track down criminals. 

The Architect of Change: A Modern Renaissance Teen 

What makes Tejasvi’s story even more remarkable is the context of her achievement. Building a platform of this sophistication is a massive undertaking for any developer, let alone a teenager balancing the immense pressures of high school. Yet, Tejasvi is the embodiment of a modern Renaissance individual. 

While coding Shield Seniors, she simultaneously: 

• Earned the prestigious Eagle Scout rank with Scouting America. 

• Played violin in her school orchestra. 

• Volunteered with the North Texas Food Bank Young Advocates Council to fight food insecurity. 

• Tutored Bhutanese refugees online, helping them navigate new educational landscapes. 

Her success is a testament to both innate drive and nurtured talent. The child of IT professionals, Tejasvi’s interest in technology was encouraged from a young age. By eighth grade, she was already fluent in Java, Python, and HTML. Her skills were further honed through programs like Girls Who Code and Cyber-Patriot, which equipped her to apply her technical knowledge to pressing social issues. 

This unique blend of service, technical skill, and visionary thinking has not gone unnoticed. Tejasvi has earned national recognition, including an Honorable Mention in the 2024 Congressional App Challenge, delivering a TEDx talk in 2025 on bridging digital divides, and being named TIME Magazine’s Kid of the Year for 2025, where she was also honored as a TIME for Kids Service Star. 

The Road Ahead: A Vision for a Safer Digital World 

Currently, Shield Seniors operates in a private preview mode, constrained by the usage limits of its free AI engine. Tejasvi’s immediate focus is on fundraising to transition to a commercial AI platform, which will allow her to scale the service and reach countless more seniors across the nation. 

But her vision extends beyond the digital realm. She plans to take her mission offline by conducting in-person workshops at assisted-living facilities and community centers. These sessions will provide hands-on, empathetic guidance, helping older adults gain practical experience and confidence in a supportive environment. 

Tejasvi Manoj’s story is more than a feel-good tale of teenage ingenuity. It is a powerful reminder that the next generation of leaders is already here, identifying systemic failures and building compassionate, smart solutions. Through Shield Seniors, she is not only protecting vulnerable seniors from financial ruin; she is restoring their confidence and granting them the independence to explore the digital world without fear. In doing so, this cybersecurity pioneer is building a more inclusive and safe internet for everyone.