Over the past four years, police crime statistics have documented a sharp increase in property offenses committed in the digital space. At the same time, AI-based technologies are enabling new forms of (online) fraud — for example, a person’s daughter’s voice can now be imitated almost perfectly. To respond appropriately to such threat scenarios, digital skills are becoming increasingly important. However, according to this year’s Digital Barometer, one in three people in Switzerland still lacks basic digital competencies.
There are few programs that address the dangers of such fraud schemes from a holistic perspective. Fraud rarely relies solely on technical means. Often, a human factor is involved — the hope for great love, the long-missed granddaughter, or the fear that money has just been wrongly withdrawn from one’s account. This makes it clear that preventing digital property crimes is not just about technical skills, but also about emotional resilience in stressful situations. In our workshops, we therefore discuss not only technical tricks but also emotional manipulation tactics, using real-life case examples.
As a non-profit association, Dezentrum aims to strengthen the digital competencies of vulnerable groups through a suitable and holistic educational format — and thus act preventively. The workshops currently target two different groups: senior citizens, and people affected by or at risk of poverty.
We are looking for organizations and implementation partners with whom we can carry out workshops.
The project is funded by the «Rein ins Netz» grant of the Migros Kulturprozent as well as the Walder Foundation.
