Digi Friend
Who is behind Digi Friend
I'm Phuong Lien Hoang, Master of Social Work (MSW), and the founder of Digi Friend.
I build programs that help older adults:
Digital safety
Stay safe online and protect themselves from fraud.
Digital competence
Strengthen their digital competence and use technology with confidence.
Independence and dignity
Live autonomously and independently in their own communities, with their worth and dignity intact.
What I hope for
Safe from fraud
Recognize fake government calls, fake bank texts and cloned family voices. Stop, look up the real number to check, and never be afraid to ask.
Stronger digital competence
Not just pressing buttons, but understanding and confidence: protecting personal information, using online services safely, handling their own affairs.
Technology, closer
A phone should be a friend that helps them see their grandchildren, get to the doctor and handle daily tasks, not something to fear.
No one left behind
As banks, clinics and government services move online, older adults, especially those still learning English, deserve to learn their own way, in their own language.
Bridging the divide
Grandchildren and grandparents learning, using and connecting together.
Beyond digital safety, I want to go further: build older adults' digital competence so they can actively shape a healthy, effective, safe and fulfilling life in their communities, such as:
π― So they can stay joyful, healthy and happy, and keep feeling valued, and age in place, happily, at home.
Why I built Digi Friend
Older Vietnamese Americans are not scammed because they lack sense. They are scammed because scammers speak English, while safety advice in Vietnamese barely exists.
In my work alongside the community caring for older adults, I keep running into that worry. One scam call can take away an older adult's independence and upend their family's life.
Contributions to the community
AgeTech for Vietnam
Helping older adults use their phones safely and with confidence: video calls with family, staying safe online.
A digital-skills curriculum
Used by a high school in Vietnam for a student community project reaching 202 older adults. See the results β
Listening to the community
A needs assessment of senior services with 49 in-depth interviews; the biggest gaps were language and technology.
Digi Friend
A free, bilingual lesson library that helps older Vietnamese Americans stay safe from scams and use technology with confidence.
What Digi Friend does
The most widely used free scam-prevention materials in the U.S. (FTC, FDIC/CFPB, AARP) are mostly available only in English and Spanish.
Built to fill that gap, in Vietnamese and English.
Free and bilingual
English and Vietnamese, read aloud, large text.
Real situations
Fake Medicare calls, fake bank texts, a cloned grandchild's voice.
Competence, step by step
From staying safe on the phone to online safety, speaking instead of typing, keeping in touch with family, maps and Google Translate.
Respectful
No shame for anyone who has already been tricked.
Measured
So libraries, senior centers and funders can see that it works.
Credentials
Want to run a class in your community?
Libraries, senior centers and community groups: see For organizations, or write to [email protected].
Start learning β