Join BT Group's free scam awareness webinar this Christmas

BT Group, in partnership with charity AbilityNet, is urging people to join “The 12 Scams of Christmas” webinar to protect themselves online.

As scammers are known to target vulnerable groups online during the festive period, the one-hour live webinar will reveal the most common tricks and tactics to watch out for.

Register here for the free event on December 12th, either for yourself or on behalf of loved ones who could benefit from understanding more about the online world. All those who register for the session will receive the recording afterward, even if they can't attend on the day.

The event is part of BT Group and AbilityNet’s partnership to support older and digitally excluded people with navigating the online world.

It comes as research* from BT Group highlights older internet users, who may be more vulnerable to online scams, are keen to develop their online confidence. It reveals two thirds (65%) of older people think there’s no age limit on learning new skills, with almost half (49%) open to learning tech skills specifically. 

Victoria Johnson, Social Impact Director at BT Group, said: “If you or someone you care about could benefit from learning more about scams, then join us for ‘The 12 Scams of Christmas’ webinar.

“The run up to Christmas is a time when we’re all online more, shopping for presents or booking events. But it’s also a time when scammers are ready to take advantage of people who are less tech savvy and perhaps aren’t online as much throughout the rest of the year.

"At BT Group, we understand the significance of supporting older and digitally excluded individuals to navigate the digital world. Through our partnership with AbilityNet and initiatives like this webinar, our goal is to empower people with the knowledge needed to feel confident online.”

Lucy Walsh, Digital Skills Trainer at AbilityNet, said: “Almost all of us will, at some time or another, be enticed by ‘scammers’ to part with our hard-earned cash, or our sensitive personal data. This kind of illegal activity is particularly rife during the festive season. 

“So, at this time of year, it's even more important that we spread the word about how we can take action to identify and avoid some common tactics used by online fraudsters.

“Older people, disabled people and those who are less confident with technology are particularly vulnerable to scams, so here at AbilityNet, we want to share some tips and tactics to help keep us all safer online and have a happier, safer Christmas”.

Felicity Oswald, NCSC Chief Operating Officer, said: “As we enter the festive shopping period, online shoppers will naturally be on the lookout for bargain buys. Regrettably, cyber criminals view this time of year as an opportunity to scam people out of their hard-earned cash. I would urge shoppers to join the ‘12 Scams of Christmas’ webinar and also follow the steps in the Cyber Aware online shopping guidance, which includes setting up two-step verification and using passwords with three random words, so they’re easier to remember and harder to hack.”

 www.abilitynet.org.uk/ScamsWebinar

ENDS

Notes to editors

*Research carried out by OnePoll in October 2022 of 1500 people over 60 years of age in the UK.