Leon County is launching the free SafeSense workshop to help residents identify scams, protect personal information, and stay safe online.
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As scam losses continue to climb nationwide, Leon County is offering a new workshop to help residents protect themselves.
Federal Trade Commission data shows Americans lost more than $12 billion to fraud last year. Older adults continue to be among the most targeted, with losses rising sharply over the past few years.
I am taking a closer look at how this effort is giving people the tools they need to recognize scams and stay safe online in downtown Tallahassee.
"Just a couple of weeks ago, my email was hacked and by some very clever hackers from who knows where," one resident said.
Neighbor Mary Ann Lindley has lived in Tallahassee over 40 years. She says she wants to learn how to better protect herself online, especially as AI continues to evolve.
"We use our technology all the time, that’s not going away, so we don’t want to just say OK I’m not doing social media. I’m scared of it. I’m not doing it. Well, you’re gonna miss out on a lot of things and a lot of business and personal things that you have to do only online anymore," Lindley said.
In response, Leon County is launching a program called SafeSense.
Library Director Pamela Monroe says the workshop focuses on helping people identify scams, protect their personal information, and build confidence using digital tools.
"I think the safe sense program is right on time because let’s face it. It’s not just older adults that are getting scammed. It could be any of us," Monroe said.
The SafeSense workshop will be held on Thursday at 11:30 a.m. at the LeRoy Collins Leon County Main Library. The event is free and open to anyone.
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