Cybersecurity is no small matter, and age-friendly awareness campaigns warm the hearts of the people. To effectively enhance cybersecurity awareness among rural elderly groups and protect their financial security, Old Town District has leveraged the Bending Tree Village Home-based Elderly Care Service Center as its primary platform, delivering cybersecurity education directly to seniors and integrating it into elderly care便民 services to strengthen the grassroots cybersecurity defense line.

Multi-party collaboration has expanded the reach of awareness efforts. Taking advantage of the National Cybersecurity Awareness Week, the district partnered with six volunteer forces, including united front workers, science and technology associations, the county people's hospital, and village committees, to embed cybersecurity lectures into activities such as free medical consultations, earthquake and disaster preparedness education, and legal services. At these events, cybersecurity segments were added alongside medical and public awareness stations, targeting seniors' information needs and risk blind spots in areas like health maintenance, retirement investment, and utility payments. Key topics included preventing telecom fraud, identifying fake health product advertisements, protecting ID and bank card information, and safely using smartphones. The content was enriched by incorporating real-life scenarios familiar to seniors, such as visiting doctors, shopping, and socializing. A total of four joint awareness events were held, serving over 200 elderly residents, distributing more than 700 free daily necessities, achieving a "one-stop service" model that effectively broadened the campaign's coverage.

Diversifying promotional approaches has boosted the effectiveness of the initiative. Recognizing that seniors often have weaker memory and limited ability to discern deception, the district introduced an innovative "interactive" age-friendly cybersecurity model. Staff delivered presentations in accessible local dialects, avoiding jargon, and used case analyses, live interactions, and Q&A sessions. They meticulously broke down high-frequency scams such as fake retirement investment schemes, short-video lottery fraud, and impersonation of customer service for refunds, while hands-on teaching seniors how to identify suspicious links. This approach made cybersecurity knowledge easy to understand, remember, and apply. Over 300 pamphlets were distributed, and more than 100 on-site questions were answered. Villager Liang Wanfa commented after participating: "I almost fell for a lottery call before, but now I know not to click unknown links and never share verification codes. This campaign has been a huge help!"

A long-term mechanism has been established to weave a dense protective network. The district has built a regular awareness system, mobilizing over 20 party members, village cadres, and community volunteers to conduct scheduled lectures at the elderly care service center and regular home visits for outreach. A comprehensive survey identified elderly individuals living alone, left-behind seniors, and the very old, creating a key population registry that currently tracks 43 high-risk elderly residents. A one-to-one paired assistance program has been implemented, with volunteers frequently visiting homes to inspect phones for risky applications and conduct fraud risk assessments. To date, over 20 awareness sessions have been held, promptly identifying and mitigating scam threats. Villager Zhu Rongxian shared her experience: "Volunteers came to my home to check for risky apps and taught me how to avoid scams. Now I feel much more at ease."

Looking ahead, Old Town District will continue to expand its volunteer lecture team, promoting a sustainable approach that combines home reminders with fixed-site talks. The goal is to ensure that high-risk individuals are monitored, regularly reminded, and never overlooked, making the cybersecurity protection net even stronger and safeguarding seniors' golden years with peace of mind.