Scammers are targeting more teens. Here are 6 ways to keep your kids safer on the internet
Scammers generally don’t target teenagers for their assets like they do for older adults; they target them for their accounts. Girard Kelly, head of privacy at Common Sense Media, told The Washington Post, “Scammers want access to their social network, so they can send emails from that account … and get to the parents of the teen, the teachers or other family members.”
Internet scammers have leveled up. Kelly explained, “There’s no more Nigerian Prince asking for money, no more badly spelled emails and bad logos. That’s not the norm, it’s much more sophisticated now.”
1. Make social media accounts private
In 2018, 45% of social media users reported to have all accounts be private, per Statista. Private social media accounts help users avoid identity theft, protect their employability, prevent attracting robberies, avoid stalkers and reduce the risk of oversharing.
Popular Science explains how to make respective social media accounts private here.
2. Have contacts for everyone and block unknown callers
From Jan. 1 to April 2023, a quarter of all unknown calls were marked as spam or fraud worldwide, per Geek Wire.
Making sure all contacts are up to date will help you to decline calls from unknown numbers. Encourage your children to keep their contacts up to date. iPhones have a setting that sends calls from unknown numbers to voicemail. To find it, go to Settings → Phone → Silence Unknown Callers.
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3. Explain the reality of stranger danger
Don’t accept friend requests from strangers. In a study, Thorn found that 40% of minors have encountered people online who they believe were trying to “befriend and manipulate” them.
John Hopkins Medicine encourages parents to begin conversations about “stranger danger” from an early age. It said, “Discuss safety issues in a positive, open and reassuring manner, modeling a calm but realistic problem-solving style. A matter-of-fact approach will make your child aware that he is capable of dealing with life’s realities.”
Telling your children they can always be open with you if they encounter anything that feels wrong or uncomfortable is crucial to keeping them safe online.
4. Be aware of scam warning signs
The most common internet scams for teens include “social media spoofing, online shopping and counterfeiting, contests and competitions, health and beauty scams, webcam and remote access scams and fake loans and scholarships,” Internet Matters reported.
Inform your child on the best ways to react to scammers. First, stop all communication with the scammer, and block their number, account or email address. Second, record the interaction. This might include taking screenshots of the scammer’s account or any messages. Third, report the account on the platform the interaction occurred on. Lastly, report the interaction to parents and authorities.
5. Don’t give out information
Minors should never give their information to people online. In an article from Washington University, it says, “No one needs to know your real name, age, gender, address, phone number, social security number, whether or not your parents are home, and other details of your life.”
Scammers can use minors’ information in synthetic identity theft, according to Centris FCU. The fraudster can “create an identity with some of the minor’s or young adult’s personal information and fill in the gaps with details they’ve made up and ultimately steal their identity.”
6. Facilitate open conversation about real-world examples of scams
The FBI issued a safety alert in December 2022, saying law enforcement received 7,000 reports of online financial sextortion of minors in the past year. Of those 7,000 reports, the victims were “primarily boys.”
Sextortion commonly occurs on sites where teens feel comfortable. Online predators create “fake female accounts,” targeting 14- to 17-year-old boys. However, the alert included that FBI officials have “interviewed victims as young as 10 years old.”
FBI Director Christopher Wray explained that victims who are afraid of coming forward makes helping them difficult. He said, “The FBI is here for victims, but we also need parents and caregivers to work with us to prevent this crime before it happens and help children come forward if it does. Victims may feel like there is no way out — it is up to all of us to reassure them that they are not in trouble, there is hope, and they are not alone.”
Talking with your child about how dangerous the internet can be will make it easier for them to come to you if any issues arise.
