Smoothwall Insights

Safer Internet Day: Online Scams Impacting Young People & How To Respond

Written by Smoothwall | Feb 11, 2025 8:24:51 AM

Smoothwall is a proud supporter of the UK Safer Internet Centre (UK SIC) and Safer Internet Day, which this year focuses on the theme: Too good to be true? Protecting yourself and others from scams online. 

According to the Digital Youth Index, 35% of young people, including 50% of over-16s, have experienced a scam online. To mark Safer Internet Day 2025, this article explores 3 online scams that impact young people, and provides practical advice on how schools, colleges and multi-academy trusts (MATs) can respond to keep students safe. 

What are online scams?

Online scams are efforts by bad actors on the internet to trick a person into handing over personal information, money, or compromising images and videos. 

Young people are particularly vulnerable to online scams due to the significant amount of time they spend in digital spaces. They are more likely to trust information they see online and may not yet have developed the critical thinking skills needed to identify potential red flags. The fact that they are often more tech-savvy than adults can also lead young people to overestimate their ability to recognise scams.

How to identify potential scams online

The UK SIC has created this useful acrostic outlining the key features of online scams:

  • Sounds too good to be true
  • Contact you did not expect 
  • Asking for personal information
  • Money or a trade is asked for

In addition to these warning signs, teachers and students should be on the lookout for scenarios in which:

  • The potential victim feels pressured to make a decision quickly
  • The potential victim is heavily influenced by feelings of love, fear or worry
  • There is some kind of emergency involved that requires money to be solved
  • Interactions are quickly moved from one platform or website to another

Online scams targeting young people

Online scams can target people of all ages, social status and ability. Below we explore 3 common types of scam that target young people online. 

1. Phishing

Phishing scams “hook” a victim in by masquerading as an established company or organisation. They often start with a message that encourages a person to provide personal information or click on a link that takes them to a website where they can enter personal details. 

The links lead to fake websites that allow scammers to collect the information, which can then be used to commit identity or financial theft. Phishing links may also contain malware which can infiltrate the victim’s device and steal valuable information such as usernames and passwords. 

Example scenarios: 

  • An email claiming to be from Nintendo informing a person that their account has been hacked and they must click on the provided link to solve the issue. 
  • A text message advising that a parcel due to be delivered to them is being held until they can provide updated contact information via a unique link. 
  • A phone call alerting them that they are the winner of a TikTok competition and will receive £1,000 if they provide their bank details within 24 hours. 

2. Catfishing and fake accounts

Catfishing is the act of pretending to be somebody else online. Scammers use this tactic to gain access to students in digital spaces and build a rapport with their targets. This enables them to establish a sense of trust, making it easier for them to manipulate their victims. 

Scammers may create fake accounts or hack the accounts of real people in order to hide their identity. They often use pictures of stereotypically attractive people to draw victims in. Once communication has been established, they may encourage their victim to continue the interactions on a different platform - often one that is less regulated.

Example scenarios: 

  • A direct message on social media from the account of an attractive model telling them that they like their pictures and want to connect.
  • In-game messages from a fellow Call of Duty fan who eventually lets slip that they have access to a bunch of great cheat codes and free CP (Cod points). 
  • A WhatsApp message from someone claiming to be a friend of a friend. They’re bored and want to know if the person is interested in chatting.

3. Sextortion

Sextortion is a form of blackmail whereby perpetrators threaten to share sexual material or information about a person unless they do as they say. It can be sexually or financially motivated. When targeting under-18s it is a form of child sexual abuse (CSA).

According to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF), the first half of 2024 saw a 19% increase in child sexual abuse reports linked to sextortion, compared to the same period in 2023. The reported cases impacted children as young as 11. 

Example scenarios: 

  • A student receives explicit images from a girl he meets online and she requests nude images of him in return. Once he sends the images, the person behind the account threatens to share the nude images with the student’s family and friends unless he transfers money to them.  
  • A female student develops an online relationship with a person she believes to be her own age. The person shares nude images they have created of her using AI. They state that if she does not share real nude images with them, they will share the AI versions with her parents and teachers.
The Report Remove tool from the IWF and Childline can help victims of sextortion. It is a free service that allows under-18s in the UK to confidentially report sexual images and videos of themselves so they can be removed from the internet.

How to protect students from online scams

Digital citizenship training

Digital citizenship lessons teach students how to be responsible users of digital devices. They’re an important addition to school curriculums in an age where digital devices are commonly used for learning. 

Many of the foundational rules for safe internet use taught in such classes can help to protect students from being targeted by scammers in the first place. This includes measures such as creating strong passwords, using two-step authentication, setting profiles as private, and thinking twice before clicking on suspicious links or sharing personal information. 

Students should receive specific advice and information on scams. It’s important for them to be aware that:

  • Not everything they see and read online is real or genuine
  • It’s very easy for people to hide their true identities online
  • Money or valuable items are rarely given away for free without a catch

Digital citizenship training should be an ongoing process, as the digital landscape is constantly changing and evolving. Smoothwall’s Online Safety Hub provides education settings with a vast library of resources to promote online safety and digital citizenship. It includes content for teachers, students and parents, and encourages meaningful conversations about online experiences.

Create a safe environment for reporting

When a student becomes aware that they have been targeted by a scammer, it is important for their safety that they cease all contact and report the incident to a trusted adult. Being scammed causes feelings of shame and fear, and these emotions can be manipulated by scammers to prevent their victims from accessing help. As a result, it is vital that schools have effective reporting systems in place that students feel comfortable using. 

Online scams need to be dealt with sensitively. It’s important for adults to be supportive and make it clear that young people are not to blame if they fall victim to a scam. In school settings, students may want to write down their experiences rather than saying them aloud, or talk to a preferred teacher one-on-one. 

Wellbeing platforms, such as Smoothwall Pulse, provide a regular safe space where students can share how they’re feeling and request help from a trusted adult. Check-ins take place on devices, providing a level of privacy that encourages even the quietest of students to speak up. Channels like this help schools foster a supportive environment where students feel confident enough to report potential scams. 

Have effective digital safeguarding technology in place

Digital safeguarding technology protects students and networks from a range of digital risks, including online scams. Web filtering and digital monitoring in particular can empower schools to block potential scams from reaching students and quickly identify those that are able to bypass safeguarding provisions. 

Real-time, content-aware filters analyse all web pages at the point of request. This means, for example, that a hacked website used for phishing purposes to steal personal information will be blocked - even if the site was legitimate just minutes before. 

Human-moderated digital monitoring can quickly identify digital behaviours that indicate a person may be a victim of a scam. Keystrokes that signal a person is being threatened, coerced, or is sharing inappropriate content will trigger an alert and a screen capture will be taken. Medium and high level alerts are analysed by trained human moderators, who can decipher even coded language and quickly inform designated safeguarding leads (DSLs) that a student is at potential risk. 

Safer Internet Day serves as an important reminder of the risks the online world poses to student safety and wellbeing. Let’s continue to work together to keep children safe and thriving in digital spaces. 

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