When Lola* was 13 years old, she fell victim to an online scam which resulted in money being taken from her parent’s account. 

The scam had promised her a free voucher for a clothing brand via email if she provided her name and email address. At the time she thought it was legitimate as they didn’t request payment details straight away.

After being redirected to another page that asked for debit card information under the guise of a small verification charge of 99p, she entered her mother’s card details. The scammers were in.

The next day, her mother received a call from the bank about a suspicious £200 charge.

“I was really distraught. I was crying about it because it’s not even like, ‘oh, it’s my own money.’ It’s my parents’ money,” said Lola. 

“I was really disappointed in me, obviously, because it’s hard-earned money.”

Research from Vodafone has revealed just shy of 840,000 British children aged 11-16 have been scammed online in the last 12 months, with those aged 13 most likely to be affected. 

Over 3,000 attempts are made to scam young people online every single day – and most scams (78%) take place on social media platforms, while one in five (22%) take place on gaming sites.

Eight in 10 (81%) parents report that these online actions have real life, long-lasting consequences as their children face anxiety, depression and mood swings after being scammed. 

Helen Westerman, from the NSPCC, said the impact of such scams “goes far beyond the immediate financial loss” and the children’s charity is witnessing kids “experience anxiety, depression and withdrawal from activities they once enjoyed”.

Lola was understandably upset by what had happened – not only did she feel guilt over losing her parents’ money, but she felt she’d lost her mum’s trust, too.

Although the bank eventually refunded the money, the family said it was a “lengthy process” – taking over a month and requiring extensive documentation to prove what had happened.

“I’m a lot more wary online now, making sure all the emails coming through are legit,” said Lola, who is constantly worried that she could be targeted for another scam.

“I think schools should educate children more about online scams… Just a lesson or two on how to avoid it,” she added.

The most common types of scam impacting kids and teens

The most prevalent type of scam is spoof ads or quizzes, where scammers impersonate well-known brands to try to get children to purchase fraudulent items or give up personal data.

The average 11-16-year-old is targeted with spoof ads or quizzes more than once a week, Vodafone said. 

Other common scams include: 

• Spoofing/catfishing/identity theft: where scammers use fake profiles to pretend to be someone else, like another teenager, a friend or a celebrity, to trick young people into sending personal information, money or buy fake things. Sometimes they even steal profile pictures and information from other real people to do this.
• Targeted ads or messages: where scammers create fake ads or messages that seem like they are from friends or trusted brands to get young people to send personal information, or to buy things that are fake or don’t exist.
• Enticing platforms: where scammers create fake platforms and apps to collect data on young people who sign up, for example apps that show who’s visited your profile.

What can parents do? 

While tech companies obviously have a part to play in implementing stronger security measures, there are also some things parents can be doing to help protect children online. 

Catherine Knibbs, cybertrauma and online harm specialist, told HuffPost UK: “Parents play a crucial role in helping their children recognise red flags and feel safe speaking up if something goes wrong.”

She urged parents to talk to kids about a tactic she dubs ‘woah, before go’.

“Teaching young people to listen to their feelings can help them spot if something is real or not. This is a behaviour I call ‘woah before go’,” she said.

We all know scammers want to seal the deal immediately so will pressure you to move quickly. So, teach your kids that any post or person rushing them to make a decision can signal a scam. 

“Help them understand that, if something doesn’t feel right (such as if their body feels uncomfortable or they have a sinking feeling in their stomach), then this is likely a sign that what they are reading is untrustworthy,” she added.

“Encourage them to check it out by asking another person or an adult – or use a search engine to look up the person or company involved.”

Another tip is to encourage kids to ‘sleep on it’.

“If they see something that needs them to pay money or give information immediately, they should take some time away to consider if they really need to,” said Knibbs.

“Scams can often ask for information or money ‘right now’ – creating a feeling of missing out – so encourage them to take some time away and decide tomorrow, after a sleep.

“They’ll likely find they feel differently the day after, and this can help slow down the speedy decisions that scams play on. Slow down, sleep, and select intentionally what you click on or buy.”

And if your child does end up being scammed, try to be compassionate – especially as it can feel like their world has ended when this happens. 

“They might be sad, angry or have anxious feelings as a result,” she said. “Listen, don’t blame or shame them, and show an understanding that the trickster is a master of deceit.”

*Names have been changed to provide anonymity. 

Help and support:

• Mind, open Monday to Friday, 9am-6pm on 0300 123 3393.
• Samaritans offers a listening service which is open 24 hours a day, on 116 123 (UK and ROI - this number is FREE to call and will not appear on your phone bill).
• CALM (the Campaign Against Living Miserably) offer a helpline open 5pm-midnight, 365 days a year, on 0800 58 58 58, and a webchat service.
• The Mix is a free support service for people under 25. Call 0808 808 4994 or email help@themix.org.uk
• Rethink Mental Illness offers practical help through its advice line which can be reached on 0808 801 0525 (Monday to Friday 10am-4pm). More info can be found on rethink.org.