Why scammers are hitting older Australians hardest and what Google is doing about it

A new partnership between Google and the Council on the Ageing aims wants to stop older Australians losing millions to sophisticated online scams.

Google's Bec Turner ran a training session for almost 1000 older Australians and is aiming to bridge the grandparent gap by building knowledge and basic skills.

Older Australians are facing a relentless onslaught of online scams, with new data revealing they were the only age group to suffer an increase in financial losses, totalling $120m.

To combat this ‘grandparent gap’, Google and the Council on the Ageing have partnered with the National Anti-Scam Centre to launch ‘Project Bridge’. The initiative is providing hands-on tips for those aged over 65 to detect and report scams, protecting life savings from being fleeced from online criminals.

It comes as the consumer watchdog’s latest data revealed those over 65 lost $120m collectively in 2023. This is a 13.3 per cent rise on 2022, and compares with overall losses for Australians falling 13.1 per cent to $2.74bn.

So why are older Australians disproportionately targeted and falling victim to these schemes?

Google Australia’s government relations and policy lead Rebecca Turner said: “The reality is, anyone can fall victim to an online scam, and the effects can be devastating.

“Too often, we hear stories from everyday Australians, including from some of our most vulnerable communities, including older Australians.”

Ms Turner said older Australians are often a more lucrative target due to accumulated wealth and savings. Having worked and saved over decades, their accounts frequently hold substantial sums, making them a highly attractive target for criminals seeking significant financial gains. The shift towards digital banking and online interactions, while offering convenience, also exposes them to a wider array of digital threats they may not be equipped to navigate.

Then there is the perceived vulnerability and inherent trust often found within this demographic.

Google has launched a new program to help older Australians fight back against scammers.

Scammers ruthlessly exploit this trust, often employing sophisticated psychological manipulation tactics that prey on respect for authority, urgency, or appeals to shared values, making it difficult for even vigilant individuals to discern genuine communication from malicious intent.

While many older Australians are digitally savvy, there remains a segment less familiar with the rapidly evolving landscape of online threats. Ms Turner said scammers constantly adapt their methods, from convincing phishing emails and SMS messages to elaborate romance scams and fake investment opportunities, and are now using artificial intelligence to appear legitimate, fooling even the most discerning digital natives.

Google uses its technology to remove harmful content, such as proactively blocking 99.9 per cent of spam and malware on Gmail and on calls and messages via Google’s phone and messaging apps. This aims to combat the top contact methods, email and text messages, that online scammers use.

But this technology – while it blocked 5.5 billion scam advertisements in 2023 – has its limitations. According to the federal government, 47 per cent of Australians experienced at least one form of cybercrime in the past year, with 9.5 per cent falling victim to fraud or scams.

Ms Turner said the fight against cyber crime therefore requires a multi-pronged, cross-industry approach, involving co-operation with government, telcos, the banks and law enforcement.

“While we have made significant progress, this is not an online problem for online platforms to fix alone. We must continue to adopt a cross-industry approach and work together to empower all Australians to remain vigilant and know what to do to minimise their risk of falling victim to online scams,” she said.

“What we’re doing is getting the toolbox out and trying to fix the grandparent gap by building some knowledge and basic skills.

“So how do you actually craft a really strong password? Are you mixing up your passwords and not using the same one for everything? What’s a passkey? And why should you consider using a passkey? They can actually be really, really helpful. And also, what is the value and importance of multi-factor authentication? So they’re just some of the fundamentals.”

Project Bridge held its first training session in Melbourne on Friday, with almost 1000 people participating.

“We’re hoping to roll it out across Australia. There are many vulnerable communities out there, and frankly, every Australian should probably do a little security check-up and listen to make sure that we are all keeping about digital hygiene and making sure we’ve got really strong confidence when we’re engaging online.”