Team raises internet safety and fraud awareness in local communities, Sessions help rural seniors fight back against scammers

Joanne Jordan, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Guysborough Journal

GUYSBOROUGH – In rural Nova Scotia, a team of women from four organizations is ensuring womeniors and others are kept in the loop and aware of the dangers that lurk online.

Travelling throughout Antigonish and Guysborough counties, the team gives a collaborative presentation focused on fraud prevention, online safety and scam awareness.

Each presenter speaks on a different topic. Natalie Sangster, a women’s support worker at the Antigonish Women’s Resource Centre & Sexual Assault Services Association (AWRCSASA) – speaks about the dangers involved with online dating; Donna Casey – executive director of the Guysborough County Adult Learning Association – provides tips regarding the creation of strong, secure passwords;

Cst. Tammy Hudak of the Canso detachment of the RCMP shares information about fraud and scams; and Jody Brohm – a member of the social group Club 7 and a self-described “volunteer” – provides information about network safety and cookies.

“We wanted to provide others with information to help keep them safe, [not] to scare anyone but to help them navigate the internet safely,” said Sangster in an email interview with The Journal.

The presentation is interactive and sometimes includes a digital escape room where participants have to solve clues using information they learned in the presentation. The escape room was created by instructor Melissa O’Leary of GALA, who then shared it with Brohm to do as part of the overall online safety presentation.

Brohm focuses on secure websites, what to look for when accessing a website to ensure the site is safe, and on cookies – providing information about cookie settings, how to manage them and how to decide whether to accept them.

In a telephone interview, she told The Journal that working as part of the group of presenters has been enjoyable. “It’s fun, we all have different personalities, but we are all there for the same reason – to educate and have fun with it,” Brohm said, adding, “It’s a serious topic but you still want to have a little fun.”

She noted that feedback from the presentations has been positive. “We’ve had other areas reach out, so you know the feedback from the presentation was good.”

The collaborative initiative was born when Brohm, who is a student at GALA, was doing a class about online banking, which she said gave her the idea of bringing the presentation of fraud prevention to her Club 7 social group. The idea was embraced and quickly grew into a community outreach project involving Brohm, Sangster, Casey and Hudak. On occasion, they are accompanied by a student from the Nova Scotia Community College.

Presentations are based on feedback from people who attend them. Question-and-answer sessions following the presentation help the group understand what people need and want.

Sangster noted the presentations are open to all residents, not just women, although many of the services provided through AWRCSASA are designed with women in mind. These include

trauma counselling, outreach, healthy relationships education for youth, immigrant support and a sexual assault nurse examiner program.

Cst. Hudak, who joined the Canso detachment of the RCMP following a 14-year career in the Royal Canadian Navy said she was drawn to policing because she wanted to be “more community-oriented – more boots on the ground.”

In a telephone interview, she explained that her part of the presentation focuses on real-life scams, including fake rental listings, grandparent scams, phishing calls and marketplace scams.

“If it feels too good to be true, it probably is,” she said, warning people not to share personal information with callers, especially under pressure.

“Scammers are counting on people to feel fear and to feel pressured,” said Hudak, adding, “Most people are honest and truthful, and scammers target seniors because many are lonely.”

Hudak also distributes “Vial of Life” kits — a resource for seniors to store important medical information in case of emergency — as well as wallet cards with helpful contact numbers.

As part of a group who educates people about the dangers lurking online, “I think it is great we’ve been able to go into the smaller pockets of the communities and offer this service,” Hudak said.

The purpose of these presentations “is to share information with the community,” explained Casey in an email interview, adding, “Technology is a wonderful tool but there are dangers.”

Noting that the valuable information provided in the presentations will help to keep people safe, “We also hope to provide some insight into what each of our organizations do and the services we are able to offer in the community,” she said.

GALA’s programs are open to any adult who is 18 years or older and is a Canadian citizen, with classes offered in Guysborough, Canso, Sherbrooke, Goshen and Mulgrave. Online classes and packages can be arranged, and all GALA programs are free.

“GALA offers guidance to adults who would like to improve their skills,” Casey said, including enhancing computer skills, work-related skills, soft skills and other essential skills.

“We also help people prepare for the Canadian Adult Education Credential (CAEC), which replaced the GED which ended in May 2024,” Casey said.

“I would like to add that we have a wonderful board of directors who offer their expertise and their time, and we couldn’t do this work without their dedication and support.”

Participants in the fraud awareness sessions are “very receptive and engaged,” Casey said. Working with GALA for 19 years – the last two as executive director – “It’s rewarding work knowing the value of the service we’re providing,” she said.

Brohm, who helped bring the team together, noted, “The more people you are connected with, the better the chances are that scammers taking advantage of people will be stopped — even if it just helps one person.”

To book a presentation or to get more information, contact Natalie Sangster (AWRCSASA) at 782-452-6221 (Guysborough) or 902-863-6221 (Antigonish). Donna Casey (GALA) can be reached at 902-533-4252 or via email at admin@guysboroughlearning.ca

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