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The Treasurer · № 12

Caught a Scam

Identified a real scam, phishing attempt, fraudulent charge, or predatory offer, in the wild, not in a worksheet, and either avoided it or got the money back.

The idea

The first scam your kid catches in the wild is more valuable than any worksheet. The phishing text, the fake invoice, the too-good-to-be-true offer that lands in their DMs. Have them screenshot it, walk through why it's fake, document what would have happened if they'd clicked. Scam-awareness is one of those permanent reflexes that, once formed, saves them at least once a year for life.

Steps
  1. Recognize one in the wild: text, DM, email, popup.
  2. Don't click. Screenshot.
  3. Walk through with an adult: signals, what would have happened.
  4. Report where applicable. Document the report.
What counts

A documented scam your kid identified and either avoided or reported. The screenshot plus a sentence is plenty.