Explore common online scams targeting teens with advice from finance expert Ademolawa Ibrahim Ajibade to help keep them safe online.
Some online scams targeting teens include:
The Covid-19 pandemic saw an astronomic spike in online fraud targeting teenage victims. As people relied more on the internet for finance and shopping, scammers stole an astonishing £2.3bn from UK residents in 2021. With 410,000 incidents reported, Action Fraud revealed that many online scams target teens and young people.
Ponzi schemes, counterfeiting and advanced-fee fraud were once the go-to schemes for fraudsters. Today, however, fraud has taken a very different shape. From online shopping scams to false job offers, scammers might use the internet and social media to target young people.
Below are some common online scams targeting teens along with tips on how to protect them from falling victim.
Spoofing is one common online scam targeting teens. It involves scammers creating fake social media profiles to pose as an acquaintance, popular celebrity or corporate brand. They then trick users into sending them money. Or, they might gain access to personal information or spread malicious software onto their devices.
Cyber criminals may also take control of high profile social media accounts to fool their followers. As a result, they can persuade victims to send money or carry out cyber attacks.
There are various ways to spoof on social media. Common steps may include:
A popular spoofing incident happened in July 2020. The official Twitter pages of various high profile accounts were hacked by Bitcoin (BTC) scammers. Within a few hours, they stole millions of dollars worth of BTC through a series of spoofing tweets.
In other cases of spoofing, fraudsters have posed as customer support outlets. They then try to convince unsuspecting teens to share financial information or make unnecessary payments to resolve a legitimate complaint.
To cover their tracks, spoofing fraudsters may use foreign bank accounts or anonymous payment methods like cryptocurrencies.
To protect kids and teens from falling victim to spoofing attacks, take steps to build their awareness.
What was once commonly associated with shady back-alley salespeople, counterfeiting scams have found a new home online. But bargain-hunters remain their prime targets.
While their purchasing power might be limited, teenagers can still spend big online. Armed with this information, fraudsters regularly attempt to take advantage of teens. They lure them into phony websites to take their money and sell them nothing.
Untrustworthy sales and auction links are commonly embedded online in emails and social media posts. They might include taglines to get the latest iPhone, designer sneakers, or high-end headphones. Often, they claim offer items at a fraction of the actual retail price.
The offers often sound too good to be true. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what they are. Once paid for, the products never arrive.
In other cases, fraudsters may pass off knock-offs and counterfeit items as the real deal. Convincing social media pages and online resale platforms like eBay make it hard to determine what is real or fake.
Online shopping scams have emerged as one of the most devastating forms of online scams. This is because teenagers are often too embarrassed to tell their parents or make timely complaints to the authorities when scammed. Therefore, most cases of online shopping and counterfeiting scams go unreported.
There are actions you and your child can take to keep them safe from scams related to online shopping and counterfeiting.
Online scams target teens with promises of different prizes. A talent contest scam is an example of this. Fraudulent organisations or individuals use the promise of discovering and promoting new talent to defraud unsuspecting, ambitious teenagers.
The scammers typically advertise trials, auditions or casting calls through online platforms, social media apps or classified ads. They may even create fake websites or social media pages that appear legitimate. However, they instead take advantage of the victims by asking for money or personal information.
Scammers may require victims to pay an upfront fee to participate in the contest or competition. They may also ask them to pay for additional services such as photography or travel expenses.
Often, these scams target teenagers who are aspiring performers looking for a big break.
Once they pay the upfront fee, they may not hear back from the scammers. Or, they could be told they did not win, and they might receive a ‘second chance’ for an even larger fee.
In some cases, the scammers may also ask for personal information that can be used for identity theft or fraud.
It’s important children understand that success requires a lot of hard work. They should approach promises of ‘big breaks’ with caution.
To avoid falling victim to an online contest or competition scam, it’s important for teenagers and parents to:
Generally, parents should advise caution when it comes to contests. This is especially true if they require upfront fees or wild guarantees.
Some other red flags include unrealistic promises, pressure to act immediately and unexpected requests for personal information.
Heightened by social media trends and online bullying, some teens may have body image insecurities. Scammers have begun to weaponise these insecurities to create a new common online scams. These bogus health and beauty scams encourage teens to spend money on related products and services.
These scams include everything from diet pills and alternative medicine supplements to subscription-based online courses or regimens. These scams target teenagers of any gender. They often relate to weight loss, beauty and muscle gain.
Fraudsters may use ads with doctored before-and-after images, fake testimonials and guarantees of quick and easy results. In reality, the products may not be effective at all. In fact, they may even be harmful to the user’s health.
These scams mostly target teens and children with negative self-image because they are more vulnerable. As such, it’s important to offer support. Additionally, advise children to approach anything online with sceptism. They should also:
Generally, parents should educate kids on the importance of researching products. This is especially true when suggested by popular influencers or content creators who are sponsored. Encourage children to think critically about all claims they see online.
Due in large part to the Covid-19, virtual classes and calls became a fixture for many teenagers and young adults. The global need to connect led to an increase in the use of webcams. As a result, scammers began exploiting this technology with scams targeting teens. Through webcams and video calling platforms, they found ways to collect private information, or even images to use as blackmail.
These scammers may pose as a staff member, family member or friend or even a technical support representative. They then might use remote access software to take control of computers or devices and wreak havoc.
Scammers might use the webcam to spy on the victim. Additionally, they might install malware or steal personal information with remote access.
In the early days of the pandemic, ‘Zoombombing‘ or ‘Zoom raiding’ saw users gaining access to meetings without permission. With heightened cyber security features, these kinds of incidents became less likely, though it can still happen. Implementing meeting rooms and requiring a password can help limit this kind of access. As a result, scammers are unlikely to gain access too.
With all risks of harm related to online safety, cyber security is vital. This might be in the form of parental controls or general security settings that you set up with your child. Parents and carers can work to limit those online scams targeting their teenagers.
Fake loan or scholarships are common online scams targeting teens and parents looking for ways to pay for further education. These scams typically involve false offers of low-interest student loans or scholarships that require upfront fees or personal information. However, they do not actually provide any financial assistance. In fact, they may cause more financial hardship.
These types of online scams may more greatly impact families more vulnerable due to low income. In the cost of living crisis, it’s important to remain alert.
Fake loans or scholarship scams target teenagers thinking about the next step of their education.
The scammers may claim that the scholarship is ‘guaranteed’ or ‘exclusive to few people’ to make it appear more valuable. They are usually advertised through social media, phone calls or emails. Additionally, they may use fake websites or social media pages that appear legitimate.
In some cases, they might require the victim to enter banking details or other personal information that can target finances. Scholarships and loans should only be accessed through official trusted channels.
To avoid falling victim to fake loans and scholarship scams, make teens aware of the following:
When further education looms, many parents and young people worry about financing this next step. This period of vulnerability may lead to less scepticism. However, parents must be wary not to let down their guard.
See our expert panel’s advice on tackling different online scams targeting teens and children.
The anonymity and popularity of social media among children and young people make them easy targets for scammers.
Our ‘tech-savvy’ teens have grown up with computers and smartphones as second skin. As such, they likely approach online financial transactions with more trust and complacency, and less caution.
Therefore, it’s important for parents and carers to keep up with the scams targeting teens.
Learn more common online scams:
See related advice and practical tips to support children online.
