Phishing is when someone tries to get your personal information or log in details by pretending to be a trustworthy company or organisation. A bit like fishing, they are trying to hook you in and get you to type in this information. Phishing may come as an email or direct message and will be designed to look like an organisation or company that you know and trust.
Online scams are any scheme or method used to trick and deceive others into giving up their personal information, account logins or money on the internet. Phishing is one form of internet scam but not the only one. Others can include messages that encourage you to enter prize draws, complete surveys or click on unfamiliar links, all aiming to get you to share your details.
Questions you may have
There are lots of clues you can look for that something online might be a scam. Check for the following:
- Suspicious links, usernames or email addresses which may be long, unfamiliar, or misspelt.
- Threats or demands e.g. “Update this by midnight or your account will be closed”
- Bad spelling or grammar
- Anything that sounds too good to be true
- Anything that asks for your login or personal information.
No! Everyone is vulnerable to online scams though some scams will be more targeted towards a younger audience. These might use popular brands, figures, games etc, to appeal to young people and make them more likely to give over their details. We often hear from young people that their grandparents or older relatives may have fallen for online scams – why not help protect them as well as yourself by talking with them about what you’ve read here?
If you don’t know where a link is leading or who it’s from, there are several risks involved with clicking on it. Firstly, it might try to get you to share your personal details. Secondly, it might take you to a site with malware, malicious software which tries to steal information from your device. Thirdly, there is a risk of seeing inappropriate or upsetting content. If in doubt, don’t click!
Remember, if something seems too good to be true, it probably is! There are lots of ways to spot a fake giveaway. It might use a famous brand name but not be verified with a tick or the account might look new and not have many followers. Be particularly wary if to enter a giveaway you need to subscribe, submit personal details, pay a fee or follow different accounts. If in doubt, don’t enter or speak to an adult you know and trust so you can decide what to do together.
If there is unusual activity on your account that you are sure wasn’t you, it is likely that someone else has gained access to your account. There are a few ways this could happen, including hacking, like using a password that is easy to guess or sharing your password somewhere else. Look out for emails reporting suspicious activity or feedback from friends that your account is sending messages with unreliable links or strange content.
The first thing to do is change your password and make sure it is not easily accessible to anyone else. It is also important to let a trusted adult know what has happened so they can support you! You then need to report what has happened to the social media site. This will protect you and others in the future. All social media sites will have a place that you can do this. They might refer to what’s happened as “suspicious activity on my account” or simply hacking or hacked. After this, you might wish to delete any unusual activity, including comments, links or messages that were posted via your account.
Don’t worry, you don’t have to be an expert in online scams. You will get more confident at spotting scams and phishing. In the meantime, simply make it a rule to never enter your information into any site except to log into authentic websites that you know well and use regularly. If you do get caught out, don’t panic! Ask an adult for help, report it and change your passwords.
Top Tips
- Make sure you only use your account login details (username and password) on the official website or app for the service you want to use and don’t share these with anyone (even friends.)
- Don’t click on any links you receive in messages or comments.
- Be careful of online surveys, giveaways and things that threaten or rush you as they are often scams trying to get information from you.
- Question what you see online, even if it looks official or promises something exciting; if something seems too good to be true, it probably isn’t true.
- Always talk to an adult if you are unsure or upset by anything you see or receive online.