The Andrews Labor Government is taking action to help older Victorians stay safe online. Minister for Consumer Affairs Marlene Kairouz today launched a new awareness campaign to give older Victorians the tools to avoid scams while surfing the net.
“Becoming internet savvy is opening doors for older Victorians to keep in touch with family and friends, and a whole lot more. But unfortunately, it also exposes them to scammers.” Minister Kairouz commented “Through the Scam Survey and Scams Awareness campaign, the Andrews Labor Government is empowering older Victorians with the skills to avoid scammers and enjoy their time online.”
The Minister went on to explain that a Consumer Affairs Victoria survey released today shows nearly one in five older Victorians has fallen for a cyber scam. Victorians aged 55 and over made more than 7000 reports and lost over $4.5 million to scams in 2016. People aged 55 and over made 45 per cent of all scam reports across Australia throughout last year. The survey also found that 92 per cent of respondents have received a scam invitation and 18 per cent have fallen for a scam. Email was the leading channel for scammers, while 38 per cent of all victims lost money as a result of being scammed.
“The Scams Awareness campaign and the Scam Quiz are great initiatives to help older Victorians steer clear of trouble while navigating the web.” Member for Eltham Vicki Ward commented.
Ward went on to explain that the new campaign brings together Consumer Affairs Victoria, Crime Stoppers Victoria, the Council of the Ageing Victoria and the Public Libraries Victoria Network, and will help older Victorians identify and avoid online scams. Older Victorians will be able to attend education sessions at their local participating public library and put their scam knowledge to the test through the CAV Scams Quiz.
