Australians lost $2.7 billion to scams in 2023, with these losses disproportionally affecting senior Australians.<1> It's vital to keep your guard up and stay informed about the increasing scams happening across Australia. Scammers are posing as bank officials, police officers, or even government representatives, claiming there's a problem with your…
ABC News reports that Australia faces a potential crisis as the 3G network shutdown approaches, with over a million mobile phones, including some 4G-enabled devices, at risk of losing access to emergency services.<1> The plan to switch off the 20-year-old 3G network was announced in 2019 to allow mobile carriers…
Did you know that there are 3,664 emojis in the Unicode Standard and that over 92 percent of the world’s online population use them? Emojis are not just fun additions to messages but can also enhance communication and combat loneliness, particularly among older adults. Despite their widespread use, many older…
Fancy an art class, live music or comedy show? The NSW Senior Festival has got you covered! Join the NSW Seniors Festival, with hundreds of events across the state including art classes, fitness sessions, and live music. Most are free or affordable and there are also many online events, so…
Last year, according to Scamwatch, more than $40 million in fake investments was swindled from individuals in Australia using dating platforms and social media. Scammers masquerade as genuine individuals seeking relationships, and invest considerable time, building trust over weeks or months. Eventually, they can coax victims into ‘investing’ their funds…
This 6 February is Safer Internet Day, a global initiative to raise awareness of online safety issues. The eSafety Commissioner leads the initiative in Australia by educating people about online safety risks, like online abuse, how to be safe online and where to go for help. There are three simple…
“It was a new world to me. It opened up a whole lot of things,” says Gail. Gail is talking about the Digital Literacy Foundation’s Click & Connect iPad loan program, run in partnership with Penrith City Council. Initially funded by the NSW Department of Communities and Justice, the program…
Did you know that a growing number of Australian seniors are reporting financial abuse? Legal Aid NSW has reported the recovery of almost $1.9 million in clients’ funds over a one year period, and claims that financial abuse self-referrals by seniors grew 20% from 2021-2022. So, what is financial abuse?…
If you’ve had personal data (such as your driver’s license number or your home address) stolen, you’re not alone. In the past year, at least one in three Australian adults have had personal data stolen. The Australian National University (ANU) surveyed a group of Australians and found that more than…
In 2022, Australians have lost around half a billion dollars to scams. Over $300 million of this has been through investment and cryptocurrency scams. As Christmas nears, it’s feared that scams like these will ramp up, impacting even more Australians. So, what exactly are cryptocurrencies? Cryptocurrencies are digital tokens –…
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