"Will you please run a cybersecurity session for the retirees at our village to fit in with our Safety Month?". This was the gist of a request that came through to our National Case Management Centre.

Requests like this are not unusual. Almost daily we will receive an invite from someone to hold a session on navigating the online world safely. Thanks be to COVID-19, honouring these requests has been difficult as we haven't been able to travel.

But, as luck would have it, this request was from a retirement village on the Sunshine Coast and Dave (aka the Boss) was available. It is also part of the CROC initiative to offer education to people living in retirement homes who are understandably interested in the topic.

So off we went, equipped with a pack of slides, to meet the retirees in Sippy Downs.

Instead of rattling off frightening stats and case studies, Dave gave a short insight into the work of IDCARE and some of the risks and then turned it over to the audience of around 30 people.

Questions included:

"Is it safe to do online banking?" Answer: Yes - as long as you are careful about your passwords and giving remote access to your device.

"Why can't police do more to stop scams?" Answer: Cybercriminals are typically based offshore and out of the jurisdiction of the police. However, the AFP does work with other policing organisations around the world to try and track activity.

"How do I shop safely online?" Answer: Do your research. It is easy for scammers to create fake websites that may look to sell anything. Check the reviews on the site before you engage, check if it is a secure site and has the padlock and trust seal. And if the price is too good to be true, it usually is!

* At the request of the retirement home, we have used a stock photo to accompany this article and not an image of the residents.

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