Time Pressure
- Just five more minutes
- Your account will be locked immediately
- Don't tell anyone
- Send money now
Real decisions should be double-checked.
GUIDE · ABOUT 15 MIN.
Scams & Fraud
Recognizing pressure, verifying identities, and protecting money, accounts, and personal information.
Outcome: A personal scam safety plan with recognition rules and immediate actions.
For children, teens, and familiesLast reviewed: 2026-07-14
Online scams often don't start with an obviously dangerous message.
Scammers pretend to be friends, family members, platform support, companies, authorities, influencers, or buyers. They create a sense of urgency, promise rewards, or claim that an account or money needs to be protected immediately.
New AI tools can convincingly mimic voices, images, videos, and texts.
This guide will help you recognize common patterns, verify requests independently, and respond quickly if something goes wrong.
Five Common Warning Signs
Unusual Payment
- Gift cards
- Cryptocurrency
- Transfer to an individual
- Cash delivery
- Payment outside the platform
- So-called secure intermediary accounts
Don't make a payment just because someone asks for a specific hard-to-reverse method.
Secrecy
- Don't tell your parents
- The bank must not know about this
- Don't talk to anyone
- This is a secret security check
Secrecy is a strong warning sign.
Identity Not Independently Verified
- Supposed support
- Alleged family member
- Buyer
- Authority
- Employer
- Influencer
Do not verify through the number, link, or account from the suspicious message.
Too Good or Too Bad to Think Clearly
- Unexpected winnings
- Extremely cheap offer
- Sudden emergency
- Alleged crime
- Threat of account loss
- Guaranteed high returns
Strong emotions often trigger quick actions.
How well are you prepared?
Discuss these points together. Open issues are a guide — not a guarantee of safety.
Well Prepared
0–2 open points
0 open items
The result is a guideline, not a guarantee of safety.
Scam or Legit?
“Congratulations! You've won a smartphone. Just pay $4.99 for shipping and enter your card details.”
“Mom, my phone is broken. This is my new number. I urgently need money.”
“I'm from support. Send me the six-digit code so your account won't be locked.”
A well-known shopping app shows an order confirmation within the official app.
“Scan this QR code to receive your free game credits.”
Warning signs
- Winning without entering
- Upfront fees
- Shipping costs only by card
- Asking for a password or login
- Pressure to act quickly
- Unusual sender
- Link outside the official platform
- Requiring friends to be tagged
- Winner must pay tax or fee first
What to do
- Do not click
- Do not pay
- Open the official account yourself
- Check contest rules
- Report the account
- Ask an adult or trusted person
For a real prize, you usually shouldn't have to pay secretly or under pressure first.
Gift cards are meant for gifts and purchases at the respective provider — not for support, authorities, police, taxes, account unlocking, employers, prize releases, family emergencies, or online relationships.
Warning signs
- Buy a card
- Take a photo of the back
- Dictate the code
- Send the receipt
- Visit multiple stores
- Tell no one about it
What to do
- Contact the gift card provider immediately
- Keep the purchase receipt
- Lock the code if possible
- Report the payment
- Contact the police or official reporting agency
If a code has already been sent: inform the gift card provider immediately.
The 60-Second Pause
1
Stop
Don't click, pay, or respond.
2
Recognize your feelings
Are you feeling fear, greed, guilt, or pressure?
3
Verify independently
Use a known number, official website, or published contact method.
4
Ask a second person
Talk to a parent, trusted adult, bank, or official support.
5
Decide only after
No real opportunity requires you to skip safety checks.
STOP
- SStop
- TSlow down
- OLook for official contact yourself
- PAsk a trusted person
- PCheck before you act
If you've already clicked or shared something
If money has already been sent
Don't wait out of shame. The sooner you inform your bank, card provider, payment service, or gift card company, the more options you may have to take action.
- No further payment
- Contact the payment provider immediately
- Report the recipient and transaction
- Secure receipts, messages, and account details
- Check passwords and accounts
- Contact the police or official reporting agency
- Avoid further scam attempts after the first incident
Another payment usually doesn't recover the first payment.
Your Family Rules Against Scams
Choose suitable rules or add your own wording.
Your Scam Safety Plan
Well prepared
- Well prepared
- —
- Still open
- —
- Especially relevant
- Prizes and gift cards
- Family emergencies and deepfakes
- Phishing and verification codes
- Gaming offers and external purchases
- Recovery scams after fraud
- Next Exam
Your Family Rules Against Scams
- No money under time pressure.
- Verification codes stay private.
- Gift cards are not used as demanded payment.
- Unusual family emergencies are called back.
- Links from unexpected messages are not opened directly.
- A mistake may be shown immediately without first being punished.
Establishing Rules in the Family Agreement
In the family phone plan, you can set clear rules for payments, code protection, and call-back procedures.
Report a Scam
Find banks and payment methods, police or cybercrime units, consumer protection, and helplines for your country.
Related Resources
Hacked Account
Recover access, log out devices, secure accounts, and limit damage.
Password and Account Security
Strong passphrases, secure recovery, two-factor protection — and a clear plan for emergencies.
AI Safety
Use AI wisely, verify information, and protect personal data.
Gaming Safety
Review voice chat, contacts, purchases, fairness, and safe routines together.
Unknown Contact
Protect private information, recognize warning signs, and seek help in time.
Digital Terms Explained
From algorithm to two-factor authentication — short, clear, and family-friendly.
Family Phone Agreement
A shared promise — not a punishment. Rules apply to everyone. Clarity, trust, and safe habits.
Help Lines
International helplines and official resources — filter by country.
This guide offers general educational and organizational support. Scamming methods are constantly changing. The guide is not a guarantee of safety and does not replace professional legal, financial, IT, or emergency advice.