Seniors

Online shopping is a wonderful convenience, from ordering gifts for grandkids, to getting groceries or essentials delivered straight to your door. But shopping online also comes with risks. Cyber criminals often use online stores to try to steal personal or financial information. That’s why it’s wise to take a few simple precautions before you click “Buy”.

Let’s imagine this: you’ve just sat down with a cup of tea, comfortable in front of your laptop, breezing through your emails. A message lands in your inbox claiming to be from your bank or from someone you know. It looks genuine. The logo is correct. The language seems right. Yet… something feels off. That “feeling” is important. Because in the digital age, one of the trickiest threats isn’t always what meets the eye — it’s what’s pretending to be something else. This trick

Every time you post, shop, or sign up online, you share a bit of yourself. Over time, that trail of data — your birthday, address, even your pet’s name — builds a digital picture. Scammers love that picture because it helps them guess passwords, target scams, or even open fake accounts in your name.

Every year, late November brings two big shopping events that started in the United States: Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Fake online stores, unbelievable discounts, and dodgy payment links often appear during this period, and all are designed to trick you into handing over money or personal information. The good news? A few simple checks can help you spot a scam before it spots you.

Remember when doing the shopping meant a trip into town, queuing at the checkout, and lugging bags back to the car? These days, you can buy almost anything from the comfort of your favourite armchair — from groceries and gardening supplies to gifts for the grandkids. It's marvellous, really. A few clicks on your computer or tablet, and it arrives at your doorstep.

In these modern times, online shopping and banking are part of everyday life. We shop for groceries, clothing and goods online. We pay our bills online. We conduct our banking online. But not every website is what it seems. Scammers build fake shops that look real — complete with professional logos and “limited-time” deals. You might think you’re buying a gift, but what you’re really doing is handing over your credit card to a stranger.

You can do almost anything on your phone these days — pay bills, book travel, watch the grandkids on video, or even manage your investments. But as more of us rely on apps, scammers have moved in too. Fake apps are one of the fastest-growing digital scams in Australia. Some look exactly like trusted brands. Others hide dangerous software that can steal personal details or quietly charge your credit card. Here’s how to spot them before they catch you out.

very day, we use our phones, tablets, and computers to connect, shop, and stay in touch with the people we care about. These devices make life easier — but they can also expose us to risks if we’re not careful. The good news? Keeping your data and devices safe doesn’t require a degree in technology. It just takes a few simple habits that protect your personal information and give you peace of mind.

Most people don’t realise they’ve been infected. It's common for some malware to lie dormant on your computer, while it looks for ways to spread itself to other computers in your home or workplace, and looks for ways to spread to your friends, family and work colleagues via various messenger services.

Realising you’ve been scammed can feel awful — embarrassing, frustrating, and sometimes frightening. But you’re not alone, and there are clear steps you can take to limit the damage and protect yourself.

Once upon a time, scam emails were easy to spot — clumsy spelling, strange stories about a foreign prince, and promises of easy money. Those days are gone. Today’s smart scam emails look sharper, sound more believable, and use new tricks (including artificial intelligence) to fool even the savviest of us. Here’s how some of the latest email scams work — and what you can do to protect yourself.

You’ve probably heard the term “money mule” on the news, but what does it actually mean?

Online scams come dressed in all shapes and sizes, like the promise of a dream investment, a surprise prize, or even a message from someone “in love.” The people behind them know how to push your buttons, and they're very good at engaging you on an emotional level. They use flattery, fear, or excitement to get what they want: first, your trust, and then, your money.

Online dating can be a wonderful way to meet new people, but it’s also become one of the most common hunting grounds for scammers. Every week, Australians lose millions to “romance scams”, and the numbers are rising fast. In fact, they’re the second fastest growing scam, outpaced only by cryptocurrency investment scams. Here's how you can date online and stay safe.

Many of you may have seen reports that Qantas recently had a data breach, confirmed by the airline itself, in which personal data for around six million customers was exposed when a third-party contact-centre system was accessed by cyber criminals. That kind of incident may sound like something for the big boys, but it has real-life consequences for all of us — particularly when it comes to scams via text messages (SMS) and email. Here’s what it means and what you can do

Phishing is one of the oldest tricks in the book — and it still works because it looks so real. A scammer pretends to be someone you trust: your bank, a delivery service, even a government office. Learn how to recognise the scam and protect your information.