As more teens spend time online, they face an increasing number of scams and online threats designed to exploit their trust and inexperience. From phishing attempts to sextortion scams, it’s essential for both teens and parents to recognize these risks and learn how to stay safe online. Here’s a guide to the most common online scams targeting teens today, along with tips on how to avoid them.
1. Phishing Scams
What It Is: Phishing scams are attempts to trick individuals into sharing sensitive information, such as login credentials, personal details, or financial information. These scams often come in the form of emails or social media messages that look like they’re from a trusted source—like a friend, a popular website, or even a bank.
How It Targets Teens: Teens are frequent users of social media and email, making them prime targets for phishing. Scammers may send messages that appear to come from platforms like Instagram or TikTok, claiming the teen needs to “confirm their account” or “verify their identity.”
How to Avoid It:
- Double-check URLs: Encourage teens to hover over links to verify the URL before clicking. Phishing sites often have slight spelling variations or unusual extensions.
- Avoid sharing personal info: Legitimate platforms will never ask for passwords or personal information via email.
- Use two-factor authentication: This adds an extra layer of security to online accounts, making it harder for scammers to gain access.
2. Fake Social Media Profiles
What It Is: Scammers create fake social media profiles, often pretending to be someone the teen’s age or posing as an influencer, to gain trust. Once trust is established, scammers may attempt to solicit personal information, photos, or even money.
How It Targets Teens: Teens, eager to connect and build online friendships, may accept friend requests or follow strangers who seem “cool” or share similar interests. Scammers use this to their advantage by slowly building rapport before attempting to exploit their new connection.
How to Avoid It:
- Verify new connections: Encourage teens to only connect with people they know offline or have verified through friends.
- Look for red flags: Fake profiles often have limited posts, few friends or followers, and a generic or overly polished profile picture.
- Report suspicious profiles: Social media platforms have tools for reporting fake accounts—teaching teens to use these helps keep online spaces safer.
3. “You’ve Won a Prize!” Scams
What It Is: This classic scam claims the target has won a prize, like a new phone, a gift card, or even cash. Teens may receive these messages via email, text, or social media, instructing them to click a link or provide personal information to “claim” their prize.
How It Targets Teens: Excitement about winning can make teens vulnerable to this type of scam. Scammers often target young people with “free giveaways” or “exclusive offers” that seem enticing but are designed to steal their information.
How to Avoid It:
- Be skeptical of unsolicited offers: Remind teens that legitimate companies won’t ask for personal details upfront to claim a prize.
- Verify with the source: If a prize or offer sounds suspicious, the best approach is to check directly with the company or brand.
- Ignore unfamiliar emails or messages: Legitimate offers usually come from verified accounts, not random messages.
4. Online Shopping Scams
What It Is: Online shopping scams involve fake e-commerce sites or social media ads promoting “too good to be true” deals. Scammers may create fake stores or accounts selling popular items at deep discounts, luring teens into making purchases that never arrive.
How It Targets Teens: Teens often look for trendy items or gifts for friends, and scammers target them with ads for these goods. They might use Instagram ads or even send private messages linking to scam sites.
How to Avoid It:
- Research before purchasing: Teach teens to check reviews, ensure the site has a return policy, and verify it’s secure (look for “https”).
- Stick to known retailers: Encourage buying from trusted websites and retailers to reduce the risk of scams.
- Be cautious with payment info: Remind teens never to save card details on unknown or unfamiliar websites.
5. Sextortion Scams
What It Is: Sextortion involves blackmailing a person into sending explicit content or money by threatening to release personal photos or information. Scammers may start by building trust, then manipulate or pressure the victim into sharing something they later use as leverage.
How It Targets Teens: Scammers exploit teens’ desire for relationships and validation. Once they’ve convinced a teen to share a compromising photo, they threaten to release it unless the teen meets their demands.
How to Avoid It:
- Avoid sharing sensitive photos: Educate teens on the risks of sending personal images, even to people they trust.
- Report any threats immediately: Teach teens that they should never try to negotiate with blackmailers. Reporting the incident to a trusted adult or authority is the safest option.
- Use privacy settings: Encourage teens to keep accounts private and be cautious about sharing personal details.
6. Fake Job Offers
What It Is: Fake job scams involve enticing offers for high-paying, low-effort jobs that only require some “upfront fees” or sensitive information to get started. Teens may receive messages offering them easy money or exclusive opportunities.
How It Targets Teens: Teens looking to earn extra income are particularly vulnerable to fake job offers. Scammers lure them in with promises of flexible work or high wages, then request payment or personal data.
How to Avoid It:
- Research the company: Remind teens to verify the legitimacy of a company by looking it up online and checking for reviews.
- Beware of upfront fees: Legitimate employers don’t ask for payment to start work.
- Avoid sharing sensitive information: Social security numbers, bank details, and personal addresses should never be shared with unverified job sources.
Final Tips to Stay Safe Online
Online scams are constantly evolving, but a few best practices can help teens avoid falling victim:
- Use Strong Passwords: Strong, unique passwords for each account make it harder for scammers to gain access.
- Enable Privacy Settings: Keeping social media profiles private reduces exposure to strangers.
- Think Before You Click: If a link or message seems suspicious, it’s safer not to engage.
By recognizing common scams and learning how to avoid them, teens can protect themselves from online exploitation. SafeWeb Foundation is dedicated to empowering families and youth with the tools they need to stay safe online. For more resources on digital safety, reach out to our team or explore our educational programs.
