senior using cell phone

Resources aim to protect seniors from online fraud

June 15th marks World Elder Abuse Awareness Day to acknowledge the significance of elder abuse as a public health and human rights issue.

In Canada, about 10 percent of Canadian seniors are victims of crime every year, according to the Department of Justice, with fraud being the number one crime against older Canadians. The most common types of fraud are identify theft, credit and debit card fraud, online scams, and phone and door-to-door scams.

With more seniors going online each year, it’s important that they understand the threat of fraud so that they can better identify scams when they see one and ultimately protect themselves.

ABC Internet Matters, supported by the Canadian Bankers Association, is a program that aims to help Canadian seniors not only get online, but also stay safe online. The program consists of a free workbook and downloadable resources to help new internet users learn how to use the internet. With ABC Internet Matters, adult and senior Canadians will develop a basic understanding of what the internet is, how to access it, and how to stay safe online.

In honour of Elder Abuse Awareness Day, ABC offers the following helpful resources to help Canadians stay safe online.

To learn more about ABC Internet Matters, or to download resources or order printed workbooks, visit www.abcinternetmatters.ca.