S3 EP1: Staying Safe Online: Tackling Cybersecurity and Scams

For the launch of Season 3 of That OA Thing, we’re marking Cybersecurity Awareness Month with an insightful episode on the growing challenges around online scams, fraud, and cybersecurity in the public and financial sectors. We were pleased to welcome Doug Melville, Principal Ombudsman and Chief Executive of the Channel Islands Financial Ombudsman (CIFO), and Ian Larkin, Deputy Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (FSPO) for Ireland, as our first guests of the season, for our October edition.

Doug and Ian joined Donal Galligan, Chief Executive of the Ombudsman Association (OA), for a candid discussion on the realities of cybercrime, fraud prevention, and the importance of collaboration in building cyber-resilient organisations.

In this episode, they share insights on:

• The most common scams and cybersecurity challenges faced by consumers and businesses, including phishing, social engineering, and increasingly sophisticated digital fraud.
• How digitalisation, AI-enabled scams, and instant payment systems are creating new risks and disputes, and what both CIFO and FSPO are doing to respond.
• Practical steps individuals and organisations can take to improve cyber resilience, from education and awareness campaigns to robust internal security measures.
• The role of leadership in fostering a cybersecurity-aware culture, empowering staff to report potential threats, and embedding security into organisational decision-making.
• The value of cross-sector collaboration and sharing best practice to tackle scams and fraud, both locally and through international networks like the EU Consumer ADR platform.

Doug and Ian remind us, that vigilance, collaboration, and proactive education are key to staying safe online and protecting both consumers and businesses.

Click on the links below to listen:
🎧 YouTube
🎵 Spotify

We hope this episode encourages reflection, awareness, and action for everyone in the ombudsman community and beyond, helping to create safer digital environments for all.