GEORGIA BUSINESS FOCUS: Greater Macon Chamber hosts event to help businesses combat fraud and cyber threats

Experts Share Strategies on Preventing Identity Theft, Cybercrime, and Scams at Macon & Eggs Event.

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – As Georgia’s business landscape continues to expand, the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce is taking proactive steps to help local organizations protect themselves from rising threats. On Wednesday morning, business, civic, and government leaders gathered at Central Georgia Technical College for the Chamber’s Macon & Eggs event, which focused on fraud prevention, business security and consumer protection.

Experts from agencies at the local, state, and federal levels addressed urgent risks facing businesses of all sizes, including identity theft, cybercrime, and email scams. Chamber President and CEO Jessica Walden stressed that these challenges do not just impact large corporations—they affect small businesses, nonprofits, and consumers as well.

“When we have opportunities like this to grow a little closer as a business community and learn together, you realize that you share more in common than you do in size and number,” Walden said. “When you realize that you share some of the same issues and opportunities as businesses.”

One of the participating companies, Unified Legacy, recently broke ground on a new manufacturing facility in Macon. The project is expected to create 500 new jobs in the area. Unified Legacy’s Marketing Director, Jesse Fortson, said the company is making prevention a priority.

“Anything that can help not only keep business safe—ultimately results in keeping our jobs safe,” Fortson said. Unified Legacy manufactures critical components for the defense, aerospace, data center, and industrial markets. Fortson emphasized the importance of training employees to recognize and respond to fraudulent activity, especially for businesses that may not have in-house security resources.

The event also featured Shawn Conroy, Communications and Outreach Coordinator with the Georgia Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division, who reported that the division secured $50 million in restitution for Georgia consumers in 2025.

Chamber leaders encouraged business owners to stay connected and informed. Walden says joining the local chamber provides valuable opportunities to learn about the latest threats and best practices, helping businesses of all sizes become more resilient and secure.