Alex East, a seasoned cybersecurity professional with decades of experience protecting digital information for corporations, government agencies, small businesses, and individuals, delivered an informative and timely presentation on modern cyber scams and online fraud.

Alex explained that scammers most often target seniors, minors, people experiencing major life events (such as bereavement, job loss, or divorce), and small business startups.  He outlined the most common attack methods used today — phishing, smishing (text scams), vishing (voice scams), and quishing (QR code scams) — along with major scam tactics including catfishing/pig-butchering schemes, tech-support scams, and “man-in-the-middle” attacks such as those that occur on unsecured public Wi-Fi networks.

Using real-world examples, Alex demonstrated how scams often appear as legitimate messages, such as fake FedEx delivery emails requesting extra postage or text messages posing as the post office asking users to confirm addresses.  He emphasized never clicking on suspicious links, watching for urgency tactics, checking unfamiliar phone numbers or country codes, and carefully examining email addresses for subtle irregularities.

Alex also discussed the concept of a permanent digital footprint, stressing that anything done online leaves a lasting trace. He explained that on social media platforms such as Facebook, data is owned by the parent company, Meta, and that by agreeing to lengthy terms of service—often without reading them—users grant permission for their data and content to be sold to third parties.  Even if a user later deletes their account, previously shared data may still exist in multiple places, making it virtually impossible to fully erase once it has been distributed.

He concluded with practical steps for protection: pause before reacting, look for red flags, verify information with a trusted source, avoid clicking unknown links, use strong and unique passwords, enable two-factor authentication, create a family “safe word” to verify emergencies, freeze credit, monitor financial statements, stay current on cybersecurity news, and audit your online presence, including checking haveibeenpwned.com for possible data breaches.

Members also had the opportunity to sign up for Alex’s cybersecurity newsletters, which provide updates on emerging threats and the latest scam tactics. In addition, Alex had several books available for purchase, including Cybersecurity for Seniors Made Easy, The AI Scam Survival Guide, A Parent’s Guide to Online Safety, and The Secure Password Keeper. 

Takeaway: Staying safe online means understanding that digital actions are permanent, slowing down when urgency appears, and taking simple, proactive steps to protect your digital life.