Karen Griessel, a social worker at Rand Aid’s Thornhill Manor, took residents on a journey into the often-hidden world of cybercrime on Friday, December 19, equipping them with the knowledge to protect themselves from increasingly sophisticated scams.
Griessel facilitated an awareness session after noticing that several residents had recently fallen victim to fraud. “As a social worker working closely with older adults, I felt a responsibility to respond through education and empowerment,” she says.
During the talk, residents discovered how scammers exploit emotions – fear, urgency or excitement – rather than technical knowledge, to manipulate their targets. The discussion covered common scams, including banking and OTP fraud, phishing messages, WhatsApp hijacking, family emergency scams, romance scams, investment schemes and prize scams. Griessel emphasised a crucial rule: Banks will never ask for your OTP, Pin or passwords. These should never be shared with anyone.
Practical strategies were shared to help residents stay safe: Pause before responding to unexpected messages or calls, verify information only through official channels, enable WhatsApp two-step verification and consult a trusted person before taking action. Griessel also addressed the emotional toll of fraud, reassuring victims that being scammed is not a personal failure, but the result of deliberate manipulation.
The session wrapped up with a simple but powerful message: STOP – Slow down, Talk to someone you trust, Only verify through official channels, and Protect your personal information.
Griessel concluded, “Awareness and open conversation remain our strongest tools in keeping our older community safe.”
