For Sara V., a Facebook message that initially seemed friendly arrived at an especially vulnerable time. Shortly after she was widowed, someone claiming to be a well-known professional athlete began contacting her regularly. Then the person asked for money.
Sara’s experience illustrates how quickly an everyday online interaction can become confusing and potentially harmful. For many older adults, getting online is only the beginning. Knowing how to protect personal information, recognize a potential scam and decide whether a message can be trusted may determine whether technology feels empowering or intimidating.
A 2025 report from the FTC showed that adults 60 and older claimed $1.18b lost to scams and fraud over the previous year, highlighting the growing importance of providing older adults with resources and support to stay safe online.
That’s why AT&T works alongside collaborators such as Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) from AARP to help older adults develop practical technology skills. Through its flagship program, Senior Planet from AARP, OATS offers courses, workshops and resources designed around how older adults use technology in their daily lives.
This work is especially relevant during Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Online scams continue to evolve, including fraudulent emails and texts, impersonation, romance scams, and AI-generated content. Helping older adults understand these risks can give them the confidence to benefit from technology while navigating the digital world more safely.
Technology Training Built for Older Adults
Senior Planet programs provide supportive settings where older adults can ask questions, practice their skills, and learn alongside others with similar experiences. Many of these courses take place in collaboration with local community organizations and AT&T Connected Learning Centers nationwide.
Online safety is embedded throughout the Senior Planet curriculum. Participants learn to identify scams, protect personal information, and practice safer online habits while developing everyday skills such as using email, navigating websites, and downloading apps.
Senior Planet also offers programs focused on scams and fraud, privacy settings, strong passwords, password managers, passkeys, and virtual private networks. Other sessions help participants evaluate AI-generated misinformation and understand how AI can create convincing voices, images, and videos.
For older adults who can’t attend in-person workshops, Senior Planet offers dozens of free online courses led by OATS experts. Covering topics such as smartphone skills, password security, online safety, and navigating artificial intelligence, these courses help participants build digital confidence and stay safer online—all from the comfort of home.
“Online safety is an important part of helping older adults feel confident using technology,” said Marisa Giorgi, vice president of programs at OATS from AARP. “At OATS, core to the work we do is that we want older adults to have the skills and knowledge they need to navigate the digital world safely and independently.”
Helping older adults build digital skills while focusing on safety is one example of how AT&T and OATS work together to make technology more accessible in an increasingly online world.
Woman holding device during AT&T and OATS event.
Bringing Connectivity and Digital Literacy Together
AT&T has committed $5 billion to help narrow the digital divide. An important part of that work is collaborating with organizations that understand their communities and can help people turn connectivity into opportunities.
AT&T Connected Learning Centers are located within trusted community organizations, providing connectivity and digital resources in places where people can learn at their own pace. Working with OATS helps pair AT&T’s resources with specialized instruction and support for older adults.
Classes may begin with fundamentals such as turning on a device, using a touchscreen, or connecting to Wi-Fi. Participants can then learn to send email, attend a telehealth appointment, access online services, or communicate with family. Safety practices are reinforced so learners know how to respond when a message, request or website appears suspicious.
Recognizing Scams—and Helping Others
Similar to Sara V., Rosalba M., 89, of Manhattan, found value in Senior Planet’s five-week iPad Essentials course. Along with learning to navigate the internet and use apps, she received guidance about scams delivered through email and text.
“I knew that as seniors we are targets of scams, but I didn’t realize there were so many all the time,” Rosalba said. “This scared me, but now I feel more capable of recognizing and dealing with them.”
Winston H., 83, of Brooklyn, had owned a smartphone for nearly a decade but rarely used it. A Senior Planet class taught him to use his tablet, take photos, find apps for watching sports, and recognize potential scams.
“I enjoyed that we were able to learn together and ask questions,” Winston said. “Through this class I was able to learn how to use my tablet a bit better—like how to take a selfie or what apps to use to watch my sports games—and what to look for when avoiding scams so that I can stay safe online. I was able to feel more confident with my device.”
Confidence that Extends Beyond the Classroom
Cybersecurity education is most effective when it becomes part of everyday technology use. Older adults, and users of every age, can reduce risk by pausing before responding to unexpected requests, avoiding unfamiliar links and attachments, using unique passwords, enabling multifactor authentication and verifying someone’s identity through a separate, trusted channel.
AT&T also offers products such as AT&T ActiveArmor®, which provides tools designed to help customers protect their devices and personal information while navigating an increasingly connected world. Features such as spam and fraud call blocking, identity monitoring and other security protections can add another layer of support alongside safer digital habits. Together, practical education and accessible security tools can help people use technology with greater confidence.
During Cybersecurity Awareness Month and throughout the year, AT&T and OATS are helping older adults develop skills that support safety and independence—one class, question and connection at a time.
Find in-person classes from Senior Planet here: https://seniorplanet.org/locations
Find online classes from Senior Planet here: https://seniorplanet.org/classes.
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