How do you educate children and teens about Internet Scams?

Youngsters are more open to trusting people compared to some adults and live most of their lives online. This makes them more prone to internet fraud and other kinds. 

Internet scams have far-reaching consequences, and the annual figures demonstrate how serious the situation is. No matter how educated or internet-savvy your child is, they are exposed to well-planned scams that use their vulnerabilities and wish to help others. 

According to law enforcements, con artists or scamsters have reshaped their techniques and scope of conning innocent people. 

How can kids be protected from internet scams online?

Parents should engage in a conversation with their kids regarding the various scams that exist. Discussions with teens should be about how they can protect their identity and finances online, they should be aware of their impulses and need to act first. After all, knowledge is power and proper guidance will go a long way.

Kids should not be stopped from going online or have their phones confiscated to protect them- this shouldn’t be a long-term solution- but be taught how to be safe online and the preventive steps they can take.  

Scams are a topic of discussion, but kids need to be aware of bigger and more serious issues like identity fraud, how data can be stolen, and money theft. 

Parents need to educate their kids of all ages about fraud and also understand that they aren’t easily tricked by con artists. The incapacity of older children to wait and problems with impulse control are the main culprits. Therefore, when a normal kid reads anything, they are driven to act immediately rather than considering it.

As a parent, you can assist your kid in preventing this by staying informed of the current scams. They should also stress the importance of pausing and thinking for their child’s benefit. 

So that when they’re adults handling bigger sums of money, they’ll know what a scam looks like and how to prevent one. Adults can demonstrate to them what to watch out for.

Ways/Methods to Keep Kids Safe-

Keeping your passwords secure so your kids can’t override parental controls is another way to keep your kids safe from online scams. 

The methods to keep your kids safe from scams include: 

• Make sure the technology you use is safer by setting parental controls on your phone and any other internet-connected devices.
• Describe to your kids why you’re doing this so they can understand the risks.
• Teach them the methods to avoid scams by creating strong passwords and having them share them with you.
• Open links with caution, especially if they come from people you’ve never met.
• Sending you messages requesting money from someone seems suspicious, so be wary of supposed good offers.

Protecting Children Against Identity Theft

Kids and adults fall prey to identity theft. If children provide personal information like their name, date of birth, and address, their bank accounts may be opened. Their future credit records may be impacted by this. Telling your child never to give out their personal information to strangers or use it to log on to a website or game will help them avoid identity theft.

The identity of your child has been compromised if you:

• When you attempt to create a bank account for your child, you discover they have a bad credit history. 
• Get bank statements, credit card statements, offers of credit, or bills addressed to them.

6 Internet Scams That Kids Can Encounter:

Wide range of internet scams are prevalent and affect kids in many ways. 

Apple Pay Scams

Apple Pay makes using Apple devices to make payments secure and simple. Con artists, however, might employ various tactics to exploit people. Scammers pose as Apple representatives and contact or send phony emails, texts, or pop-up alerts. These are some prevalent Apple Pay scams.

They ask youngsters to re-authenticate their Apple Pay account in these messages, rectify an issue, update their Apple Pay account, or confirm their identity. To get control over Apple Pay, the plan is to fool customers into disclosing personal information, such as their Apple ID, password, pass-code, or bank account information.

Apple will never display a pop-up on your screen or invite you to call them. When in doubt, always give the official Apple number a call.

Scammers may even pretend to be Apple tech support agents and inform victims of a problem with their iPhone or Apple Pay account. They can demand money for their services or ask to access the device remotely. Kids should be aware that these scammers come with the promise of money multiplication if the initial payment is sent on Apple Pay. 

Pet purchase or rescue

A fairly common scam that preys on children by appealing to their emotions is the use of pets as bait. It usually involves an animal, such as a puppy, kitten, or other, and it says there’s not much time left to purchase or preserve the animal. The scammer asks children to donate money immediately to assist. 

Crypto assets and NFT investment scams

Many people think that earning money with cryptocurrencies is simple, especially with Ether, Bitcoin, and NFTs (non-fungible tokens). Scammers target young people who want to make quick money or who look for investments online.

Some scammers even offer more realistic returns for small sums, Bitcoin as a reward, or huge returns for investments.

Online quizzes

Scammers use online quizzes to obtain personal information about you. They use different approaches to this. The plan is to persuade you to click on a link, confirm your identity, and then provide money, personal information, or financial details to receive your quiz answers.

Online gaming scams

The time and money that players spend on in-game purchases has made the online gaming business a prime place for fraudsters and scammers to operate. Con artists should be avoided as they may ask for money in return for cheat codes, unlimited downloads, power-ups, and access to premium skins and armor. Usually, they’ll message you or be on gaming message boards.

Financial aid scams

Fraudsters that pose as financial aid providers target those who need assistance with living expenses or schooling. Free money, government subsidies, and low-interest loans are among the commonly offered incentives in these schemes. They request an upfront payment or private data, including your bank account information.

Steps That Kids Can Take for Avoiding Internet Scams:

No matter what, especially while they’re online, our kids need our protection. But by educating them on how to recognize and avoid fraud, you can give young people the confidence to explore the internet safely.

• Remain composed

Your youngster will speak up about what’s happening in their internet life if you create a quiet space where they feel heard.

Try not to get upset with your child if they tell you about a scam they saw or even fell for, since this can discourage them from coming to you in the future. Assure them they have done nothing wrong and that coming to you was the right decision before you gather the facts.

• Emphasize how important privacy is

Scammers frequently prey on children’s innocence when it comes to disclosing personal information. A child might have no problem giving someone they met on social media or through gaming their entire name, birthdate, and address.

The disclosure of personal information about a child can be used by fraudsters to register internet accounts, apply for credit cards and loans, and much more, even though it may not appear as dangerous as passwords. 

• Make a red flag checklist

Spelling mistakes and poor grammar can quickly reveal a phony email or message, while more complex schemes can be difficult to identify.

Make a checklist of other common indications your child might use to identify scams. Make sure you incorporate:

1. Requests for passwords and login information
2. Overly optimistic claims of benefits or prizes
3. “Emergencies” and calls for immediate action
4. Demands for payment in advance
5. Email addresses where the “from” names don’t match
6. Direct messages from inactive and poorly followed social media accounts

• Examine the platform’s anti-scam guidelines

You should familiarize yourself with the guidelines provided by the biggest social media platforms for avoiding and reporting scams.

For instance, the support pages on Facebook and Instagram offer several tools and strategies to shield you from con artists. 

Conclusion:

It takes awareness, education, and preventative actions to shield children against online fraud. It is essential to have candid discussions regarding cyber threats. Children can be made far less vulnerable by being taught the value of protecting personal information and spotting warning signs.

Effective preventive measures include setting up parental controls, creating strong passwords, and keeping an eye on internet activities. Building children’s resilience against fraud can be achieved by teaching them to wait and double-check when acting on suspicious messages.

Parents may provide their children the skills they need to navigate the internet world safely and responsibly by keeping up-to-date on the newest scam techniques and creating a secure, conversational atmosphere.