NEW
Tutor: Sue Robb
Scammers took more than a billion dollars from Australians last year and older Australians are their favourite target. Fight back! In ten friendly, jargon-free sessions you'll learn to spot the tricks before they spot you: dodgy phone calls, fake texts from "your bank", phishing emails and online shopping traps. You'll leave with strong passwords you can actually remember, extra locks on your important accounts, and the confidence to bank, shop and browse online without fear. No experience needed just bring your phone or laptop and a healthy dose of suspicion.
Venue: 288 Edward St
Wednesday 10.45am - 12.15pm. Classes started 7 October, finish 9 December.
Cost: $50 (prepaid), 10 weeks
Current Enrolments: 18 (maximum 20)
Who it suits: Anyone who uses a phone, tablet or computer beginners very welcome
Bring along: Your own phone, tablet or laptop (helpers available); pen and notebook
Builds on: A natural sequel to Technology for a Simpler Safer Life no prior course required
Lesson 1 Know your enemy
How scams actually work and why retirees are targeted. The psychology of urgency, fear and trust. A tour of Scamwatch and this year's most common scams in Australia.
Lesson 2 Phone and text scams
Hi Mum messages, fake calls from Telstra, the NBN, the ATO and your grandchild in trouble. How to verify who's really calling, and how to block and report numbers on your own phone.
Lesson 3 Email tricks and phishing
Spotting fake senders, dodgy links and bogus invoices. Hands-on inbox check-up: we examine real examples together and clean up your email settings.
Lesson 4 Passwords made painless
Why one good passphrase beats ten bad passwords. Setting up a password manager in class so you only ever need to remember one password again.
Lesson 5 Two locks are better than one
Two-factor authentication explained simply, then switched on together for your email, banking and myGov the single most effective protection there is.
Lesson 6 Safe banking and shopping online
Spotting fake online shops and too-good-to-be-true deals. Secure ways to pay, PayID, card safety, and what your bank will never ask you to do.
Lesson 7 Social media, romance and investment scams
Fake profiles, online friends with investment tips, and marketplace traps. A privacy check-up on your own Facebook or other accounts.
Lesson 8 Protecting your identity
myGov, Medicare and ID theft. What to do when a company you use has a data breach, and how to place a ban on your credit file.
Lesson 9 Your devices, your fortress
Updates, antivirus and backups without the mumbo-jumbo. Public Wi-Fi dos and don'ts, and the Microsoft is calling remote-access scam.
Lesson 10 Action stations
Exactly what to do if you (or a friend) are scammed: who to call first, IDCARE, Scamwatch and the bank. Each student leaves with their own personal safety plan and we finish with a light-hearted spot the scam challenge.
About the Tutor: Sue Robb
For most of my working life I have worked with computers. I have also taught in schools, mostly computer based classes. I was bought up in a guesthouse, where my mother was the cook, amd I have retained a strong interest in food and cooking. And heathy diet.
In all classes I will show you how to get accurate information from the web, and to use AI..
If you are a U3A Brisbane member you may enrol in this class online using the Enrol button below. You will be asked to provide your membership number and name for identification.
If you wish to obtain further information about this class before enrolling, you may send a message to the tutor using the Send Enquiry Message button below.