Cybernao is bringing its free Cyber Awareness Regional Roadshow to North East Victoria, with two community sessions being held in Indigo Shire on Thursday 24 September. The free sessions will be held at Chiltern Library at 10am and Beechworth Library at 2pm, helping local residents better understand how scams work and giving them practical strategies to stay safer online. In 2025, Victorian residents lost over $64.4 Million in Scams as reported by Scamwatch. Cyber security and consumer behaviour specialist and university academic Tegan DeClark said the sessions are designed to help people feel more confident and in control, rather than more frightened about scams. “Scams are constantly changing, so trying to memorise every new scam isn’t the answer," she said. "What we can learn is how to recognise when someone is trying to influence our decisions and how to stop before we act. “Scammers can use fear and urgency, but they also use trust, authority, hope and even loneliness. "They might rush someone into transferring money because something terrible is supposedly about to happen, or spend weeks building trust before ever asking for anything. “The important thing I want people to understand is that they have more control than they might think. "We can learn to pause, question what we are being asked to do and independently check whether it is genuine.” The sessions will explore common scams, including romance, investment, and impersonation scams, and delve into the psychological techniques scammers use for social engineering. Both sessions are free, but spaces are limited. Community members should contact the respective library directly to book their place or visit https://www.cybernao.com/events. Cybernao's regional roadshow will also visit regional towns in Southern NSW.
