Age NI and Power NI have joined forces to tackle the rising threat of scams targeting older people across Northern Ireland by launching a new social media awareness campaign.

The initiative aims to equip older individuals with the knowledge and confidence necessary to spot and report fraudulent activity, especially as scammers often increase their prevalence leading up to and during the busy Christmas period.

The campaign will provide practical advice on recognising and avoiding common forms of fraud, including phone, e-mail, doorstep, and energy-related scams. Linda Robinson, Chief Executive of Age NI, highlighted the scale of the issue, citing PSNI statistics that show 827 reports of cybercrime in the last thirteen months, resulting in reported losses of approximately £18,300.

"Scams are becoming increasingly sophisticated and sadly only too often older people are specifically targeted," said Ms. Robinson. "Through this campaign with Power NI, we want to empower older people with the knowledge and confidence to spot scams and give some simple steps to help prevent them."

William Steele, Power NI's Director of Customer Solutions, stated that the partnership reflects the company's commitment to customer safety and wellbeing, ensuring they can share "vital information and practical advice to help people feel more confident online and in their day-to-day interactions."

For advice on scams visit ageni.org/scams.