David Hollingworth 
The New South Wales state government has announced a new program to educate senior citizens regarding digital safety and how to stay safe from scams.
ID Support NSW will kick off the face-to-face support program at the NSW Seniors Festival roadshow in the Blue Mountains on March 2, with a series of in-person sessions to follow across the state.
Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government, Jihad Dib said: “We want NSW seniors to feel confident navigating the digital world.”
“Whether it’s recognising a scam, managing passwords or accessing essential services online, the ID Support NSW team can help you build your digital skills,” Dib said.
The government hopes the program will make a difference to seniors across the state and help people stay safe and informed.
“Improving digital literacy is a core pillar of the NSW Government’s Digital Inclusion Strategy, which aims to close the digital divide and strengthen cyber resilience across the community.”
Statistically, older Australians have lower rates of digital literacy, with Australians older than 75 scoring 32.1 points below the national average.
This low rate of literacy is underscored by the losses faced by seniors, with individuals older than 55 reporting scam losses of $53 million in 2025 alone.
Jodie Harrison, Minister for Seniors, added that kicking the program off during the NSW Seniors Festival will help get the message out to more older Australians.
“Holding the roadshow as part of the NSW Seniors Festival from 2-15 March will give more NSW Seniors the opportunity to improve their cyber security knowledge to prevent a potential scam,” Harrison said.
“This initiative builds on NSW Government programs to support older people to develop their digital literacy, including Tech Savvy Seniors, which runs regular digital sessions on a range of topics at over 70 libraries and community colleges statewide.”
NSW Chief Cyber Security Officer, Marie Patane said that it was important to leave no one behind as life becomes “increasingly digital”.
“With more than $53 million lost to scams by people aged 55 and older in NSW last year, our commitment to digital inclusion is not just timely, it’s essential,” Patane said.
“These sessions give seniors practical, real-world skills to recognise threats before they cause harm.”
To find a session near you, check out the ID Support NSW website.