Scams & Online Safety
Recognising financial scams and tricks; phishing emails and fake websites; protecting personal and financial information online; 'if it seems too good to be true, it probably is'
What a learner can do afterwards
- Identify at least two warning signs of a scam (asking for personal details, too-good-to-be-true offers, urgency)
- Explain why you should never share passwords or bank details online
- Describe what to do if they receive a suspicious message or email (don't click, tell an adult)
The lesson
A scam is a trick. Someone tries to get your money, your passwords, or your personal details by lying to you. Scams often show up as a message, an email, or a pop-up on a screen.
Zara gets a message: 'You've won a new phone! Click here and enter your name, address, and bank card number to claim it.' The message asks for personal details and promises something amazing for nothing. That is a scam.
Three warning signs of a scam: it asks for personal details, it promises something too good to be true, and it rushes you to act fast, 'before it's too late'.
Never type your passwords or bank details into a message or website someone sent you. A real company will never ask for your password by email or text.
A scam tricks you into giving away money or details. Stop, don't click, and tell an adult.
Watch it
Where it sits
This opens up
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.