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Scam Spotter 2.0

A Level Up lesson. This page is for grown-ups: preview it before your kid plays, or talk about it after.

Online scams aimed at kids promise free game money, prizes or deals. They want accounts, codes or cash, and they show the same four Ps.

For ages 11–13 (grades 6–8) · about 15 minutes · read-aloud on every screen

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What your kid learns

  • The four Ps

    Pretend: they act like someone you trust. Problem or Prize: something’s wrong, or you won. Pressure: hurry! Pay a weird way: gift cards or codes. Bonus flag, Hush: “Don’t tell anyone.”

  • Three common kid scams

    “Free currency” generators that ask for your login. Fake login pages that copy a real game. Fake shops: too cheap, a brand-new site and no contact info.

  • Check before you tap

    Check the web address, letter by letter. Never share a verification code, the one-time number that proves it’s you. Watch for fake giveaways and “verify your account” messages, too.

  • Report it and tell someone

    Report the message in the game or app, and block the sender. Tell a grown-up, even if you already clicked. Asking for help is always the right move.

The story: Free gems?

Alex gets a pretend free-gems message, and Kayla helps spot the scam signs.

  1. Helper: Alex gets a game chat message: “FREE 10,000 gems! Just log in here.”
  2. Alex: Free gems? I’ve wanted those forever.
  3. Kayla: Wait. Let’s check the four Ps first.
  4. Helper: Pretend: a stranger acting like the game. Prize: free gems. Pressure: “10 minutes left.”
  5. Kayla: And the web address is spelled wrong. It’s a fake login page.
  6. Alex: They wanted my password, not to give me gems. I’ll report it and tell my grown-up.
  7. Helper: Free game money is never free. Spot the Ps, then report it and tell someone.

The game: Real or scam?

Each pretend screen is a scam. Tap every line that shows a scam sign.

Games use pretend money and work with taps or a keyboard. Nothing is timed.

New words

phishing
tricking people into sharing passwords or codes
account takeover
when someone steals your login and uses your account
verification code
a one-time number that proves it’s you
fake shop
a website that takes money but never sends anything

Questions at the end

  • A message says “Hurry! 5 minutes left!” Which P is that?
  • A site says it can make free game currency if you log in. What is it?
  • How can you spot a fake login page?
  • Which one is a sign of a fake shop?
  • Someone asks for the code that was just texted to you. What do you do?

Remember this

Free game money is never free.

Talk about it

Have you ever seen a message that seemed too good to be true? What gave it away?

Try it at home: Turn on account recovery

  1. If you have a game account, open its settings with a grown-up.
  2. Turn on account-recovery options, like a backup email.
  3. Talk about what you’d do if a scam message shows up.

The whole mission works with no account or app.

For grown-ups: live facts

School standards

  • Grades 6–8
  • National Standards for Personal Financial Education: Managing Risk

Leads to

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Lessons teach how money works. They are not financial advice.