When you think of someone getting scammed, what comes to mind? Grandma on the phone? If so, this will probably surprise you.
Total money lost by teens to online scams nearly rises 2,500% Victims under the age of 20 suffered a staggering $210 million in losses in 2022 alone.
Educating children about the warning signs is the first step to preventing them from becoming victims. That’s why I’m now talking about scams and hacks targeting children and teens.
“Send me a photo”
Sextortion scams increased by an astonishing 20% between October 2022 and March 2023. The scammer used to target adults, but recently he has targeted teenage boys.
I spoke on a national radio show with South Carolina Congressman Brandon Guffey, who is working to impose tougher penalties for this type of sexual extortion. His son was also targeted and took his own life in July 2022. Such a tragic story. The family is currently suing Instagram.
Common tactics:
- Scammers create fake social media and gaming accounts posing as attractive young girls.
- They talk to teenage boys, send them photos, and request nude photos and videos in return.
- Once the victim sends the email, the scammer demands payment and threatens to post incriminating photos and videos to all their friends and family to see if they don’t pay.
The threat of exposure causes great panic and many children try to pay up. Don’t wait to discuss this with your children. If this happens, let them know you are there to help.
game over
Roblox and Fortnite are household names among both kids and cybercriminals. Both platforms have their own in-game currency, which requires credit card and personal information associated with the account.
Common tactics:
- Apps and sites may promise to pay you in-game currency in exchange for clicking on fake ads. spoiler: The ad contains malware that helps criminals hack into your account.
- Fake websites often claim to sell in-game currency. Many look so real that they fool children and adults.
brand thief
Today’s teens are considering social media influencers as a future career path. Who wouldn’t want to make money just by posting things online?
Common tactics:
- in influencer scamscammers pose as genuine brands and offer teens promises of cash or gifts.
- They love the victim’s account and send messages claiming to be a good fit for the victim’s brand. However, you will need to purchase some things beforehand to get started. Yes, it’s all a scam.
safety first
It’s a scary digital world out there, and we want to make sure the whole family can navigate it safely. The tips below will help protect your children from scammers.
- Discuss online dangers regularly. Let your children know that they can come to you at any time if they see anything suspicious.
- Use a password manager on your family’s smartphones and computers, and enable two-factor authentication on apps your kids use regularly.
- Make sure your child’s social media profiles are private. The more information a scammer has, the better it is for them.
- Set your teen’s phone to block unknown callers or send them directly to voicemail.
- For games with in-game currency, use reloadable gift cards instead of credit cards. Bonus: They can’t spend money endlessly.
maintain technical knowledge
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Do you know what it stands for? Additionally, Drew Barrymore fell for a catfishing scam. Also, her AI-generated ads targeting Hamas somehow appear on Hulu. More on this later. Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work for Bill Gates? We’ve got the inside scoop.
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