How can I protect my child from scammers?

It's a terrifying thought, but some scammers intentionally target youngsters. And while it's unlikely to happen, it's important you take steps to help keep your child safe.

With the eye-watering sums being lost by adults to scammers, it can be easy to overlook the fact that young people, even children, can be targeted by scammers.

According to research by TalkTalk, four out of 10 parents feel ill-equipped to help protect their children online.

There are many ways a child can be targeted by fraudsters, but two of the most common ways are via social media and online games.

Don't share too much on social media

“We need to have a frank conversation about what young people put on social media,” says Amber Burridge, head of fraud intelligence at Cifas.

She warns young people can become victims of identity fraud by sharing too much on their social media accounts.

Burridge believes even revealing a pet’s name can be dangerous – as this can sometimes be used as an answer to a security question.

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One of the ways to protect your child is to talk to them about the benefits of making their social media profiles private and explaining what information is safe to share.

It’s also a good idea to share how different bits of information can be used by fraudsters, including a parent’s middle name.

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The dangers of online gaming

It can be difficult to protect your child from scammers unless you know how they operate.

Children are at risk of being targeted when gaming online. For example, another player might ask them to send money or buy products for them.

Unfortunately, this is not the only scam to watch out for. Some sites may offer discounted or even free in-game currency or add-ons, but there’s usually a catch and it could cost your child dearly.

For example, some Fortnite players had any V-bucks (in-game currency) they bought or acquired from a third-party site removed from their profiles late last year.

Epic Games reported some third-party sites were getting V-bucks illegally by stealing accounts and using the saved credit cards to buy and sell the currency to someone else. 

Experian says people should be wary about free in-game currency or add-ons, warning that some YouTube videos direct gamers to a site to share an ‘obscure code’ from their game account.

In most cases, scammers use this code to gain access to payment information on the person’s smartphone or game console.

Matt Tatham, data analyst at Experian Consumer Services, says these sites can also be loaded with ads that could lead someone to accidentally download malware.

They could also push people to share personal and financial information or download a fake app that steals sensitive information in the background without being noticed.

In some cases, someone can be targeted via a phishing email with a supposedly generous offer.

But it’s not only about being careful about what your child buys – you also need to ensure their gaming account is used only by them.

If someone else uses their account, they could potentially make purchases without permission.

To make sure someone doesn’t use your child’s account without permission, ensure they don’t allow anyone else to use it and help them set up two-factor authentication.

This requires the account owner to use another method to verify their identity – usually by entering a code sent to their phone.

Unfortunately, even with these precautions, scammers may still be able to get hold of sensitive information.

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Talking about scams is vital

There are ways to make sure your child stays safe, particularly when gaming online or using social media.

The City of London Police recommends regularly talking to your child about who they are chatting to online, whether they know them in real life and what they share with them.

By doing this, you can help your child flag any suspicious behaviour online – and recognise any behavioural changes, which could indicate that they’ve been targeted.

“There’s no shame in admitting to being a victim,” says Burridge.

But she concedes it can be difficult for someone to open up to their parents about getting scammed.

So, your child can talk to other organisations, including the UK Safer Internet Centre, Citizens Advice and Action Fraud.

Even if your child doesn’t want to go into details about getting scammed, you should make sure that their bank is informed if they have been a victim (assuming they are old enough to have one).

If your child has been the victim of a scam and is at least 14 years old, you can sign them up to Cifas’ Protective Registration service for two years if they’re at risk of getting targeted again.

Firms that have signed up to Cifas’ National Fraud Database will take extra steps to protect someone who's signed up.

It’s a good idea to talk to your child about money and ask them to get permission before buying anything online, including if someone asks them to send money, plus you can warn them about the dangers of using public Wi-Fi for purchases, although there are ways they can stay safe.

You could encourage your child to use a card not linked to their bank account (if they have one) and to ensure their passwords are different for all sites and gaming accounts.

Of course, it can be tricky remembering so many different passwords, so a password manager can be used to automatically create, fill and record any passwords.

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Help your child identify scams

You can also actively help your child identify scams.

“Make sure your child knows that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is,” advises Chris Ainsley, head of fraud strategy at Santander.

“Get them to question things if they’re not too sure.”

Ainsley believes everyone needs to be wary about scams and not take things at face value, as sophisticated scammers will always try and appear legitimate.

There are several telltale signs it's a scam, including spelling and grammatical mistakes and the pressure to respond quickly.

Scammers are also likely to contact their victim out of the blue.

As well as pointing out the signs of a typical scam, you should also explain the potential consequences of falling for a scam to your child.

By talking to your child about how fraudsters operate and what to look out for, you can help them avoid getting scammed.