Optus is joining forces with schools and teachers for Scam Awareness Week

When it comes to digital safety, we often assume that the younger generation are tech savvy enough to be aware of suspicious online behaviour - but nowadays, more than ever before, scammers and questionable online characters are getting creative with how they target and interact with an audience, so it is always important to stay vigilant and educated on not only spotting such behaviours but also protecting ourselves against it.

Optus is proud to once again be participating in Scam Awareness Week through our Optus Digital Thumbprint program, to teach young Australians how to be safe, responsible and positive online by implementing and supporting programs that teach digital safety and wellbeing.

This Scam Awareness Week, more than 1650 students in Canberra across both primary and secondary classes will be joining the Optus team to learn more about how anyone can be targeted by scams and the tell-tale signs to look out for.

Although most young people were raised using technology, they can also be heavily targeted through social media, fake job listings, online shopping and competitions.

Cybercriminals have been known to use emails, SMSs and even phone calls to take advantage of vulnerable Australians, so it is always good practice to not respond - something we have been taught for a long time.

But what happens when something seems harmless and appears online as an advert or message instead of the traditional scam method? How do we know what to trust and what to disregard or report?

Like how our use of technology and the internet has grown, scamming techniques have also evolved and are now designed to draw people in through excitement, urgency or fear to create a false sense of trust - hoping we act quickly on incorrect pretences without taking a moment to examine the interaction.

Through the Optus Digital Thumbprint program, we will be drawing upon elements from The ACCC’S Scam Awareness Week Campaign on how to identify and handle potential scams - starting with a simple phrase to remember when something feels off: Stop, Check and Protect.

1. Stop – Don’t give money or personal information to anyone if you feel hesitant or unsure.
2. Check – Ask yourself, could this message or call be fake? It is also important to get a second opinion
3. Protect – Act quickly, contact and report the scam to your bank, cyber.gov.au and Scamwatch

With this year’s theme being ‘No one’s just a number’ – it is a reminder that behind every scam report a real person has been impacted. It is not just a statistic or an unaffected stranger, the person scammed is someone real – someone’s friend, family member, neighbour or even colleague, whose money, trust or information may have not only be stolen but also used against them.

We always want the younger generation to feel equipped and educated in the online world. For more information on scam awareness, and how to help your child or students? Check out our factsheet here.

You can also access important resources for kids on the Optus Digital Thumbprint website.