How To Teach Children About Scams
Age-appropriate ways to teach children to recognise scams, protect their information, and come to you when something feels wrong.
Last reviewed: 1 June 2026
Children encounter scam attempts earlier than most parents expect — in games, on social media, via messaging apps, and increasingly through AI-generated content. Teaching scam awareness early is not about frightening children; it's about building confidence and critical thinking. The goal is simple: they know what scams look and feel like, they trust their instincts, and they know they can always come to you without getting into trouble.
Start with the core idea: too good to be true
Even quite young children can grasp a simple idea: sometimes people try to trick us into giving away something, and spotting the trick is like solving a puzzle rather than something to be scared of. Use examples from their own world — a pop-up saying they've 'won' a free games console, or a message from a stranger claiming to be a favourite streamer offering free extras if they enter a parent's card details. Ask what feels odd about each example and let them work it out, rather than telling them the answer, because a child who has practised spotting the trick themselves will remember it far better than one only ever warned once.
- Use age-appropriate examples: free game currency, prize wins, mystery gifts
- Explain that clever people designed these to be hard to spot — it's not about being clever or silly
- Reinforce: if something seems amazingly good for no reason, pause and check
Teach the information rule
Give children one clear rule they can apply without thinking hard in the moment: full name, home address, school name, passwords, and any card or banking numbers are private, and no game, app, or stranger online genuinely needs them to let you play or claim a prize. Practise it as a quick quiz rather than a lecture — ask 'would a game really need your home address to give you free coins?' and let them say no themselves. It also helps to explain why briefly: this information can be used to find them in real life or pretend to be them elsewhere, a concrete reason rather than a vague warning about 'danger' that doesn't mean much to a child.
- Full name, address, school name, and phone number stay private online
- Passwords are private — no legitimate game or friend needs your password
- Photos and location should only be shared with trusted people in real life
Build the habit of checking
The habit that protects children long after any single lesson is forgotten is a simple pause: before clicking a link, accepting a friend request from a stranger, or entering information into a pop-up, stop and ask a trusted adult, or wait a few minutes and think again. Build this by practising together rather than only enforcing it after something goes wrong — when you spot a suspicious message yourself, narrate what you're doing out loud, such as 'that link looks odd, I'm not clicking it, I'll check the real website instead.' Praise them when they bring you something suspicious to check, even if harmless, so coming to you never feels like it risks getting told off.
- Practise spotting fake-looking links and suspicious offers together
- Agree: show me anything that asks for information or money before clicking
- Make it clear they will never be in trouble for asking, even if they already clicked
Keep the conversation going
Scam formats change constantly — a tactic doing the rounds through a popular game today may look different in a few months — so a single thorough talk, however good, has a shelf life. Short, casual check-ins work far better than one big conversation: mention something you saw in the news, ask 'has anyone tried to add you as a friend you didn't know?', or talk through a scam that happened to someone you know. Keep the tone curious rather than alarmed, and make clear that if something goes wrong the goal is always to help, not punish, because a child who fears trouble will hide the problem instead of asking for help.
- Mention scams naturally when they come up in news or your own experience
- Ask them what scams they've noticed or heard about from friends
- Celebrate when they spot a suspicious offer — it reinforces the behaviour
Conversation script
“Do you know what a scam is? It's when someone tricks you to get your information or money — even online.”
“What would you do if a game offered you free coins if you just typed in your password?”
“If something ever seems too good or makes you feel funny, you can always show me — no trouble, ever.”
Frequently asked questions
What age should I start talking to children about scams?
As soon as they are using the internet or playing online games — for many children that is age five or six. Keep explanations simple and concrete at young ages ('never give anyone your password') and build complexity as they grow.
My child clicked a suspicious link — should I be worried?
Stay calm and reassure them they did the right thing by telling you. Change any passwords that may have been entered, run a quick device scan, and check for any unusual activity. The fact that they told you is exactly the outcome the conversation is designed to achieve.
How do I talk about this without scaring them?
Frame scams as a puzzle and make spotting them a skill — not something to be afraid of. Emphasise that the people who design scams are trying to trick everyone, and that knowing how they work puts children one step ahead.