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Scam Spotters

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

Too good to be true, or rushing you? Stop and tell a grown-up.

For ages 8–10 (grades 3–5) · about 15 minutes · read-aloud on every screen

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What your kid learns

  • What is a scam?

    A scam is a trick to take your money, stuff or info. Scammers pretend to be friends, games or companies.

  • Scam clues

    Watch for free prizes, free game coins and “act now!” Watch for asks for passwords, gift cards, codes or your address. Never share a code sent to a phone.

  • Stop, don’t click, tell

    Don’t click, reply or pay. Show a trusted grown-up. It’s never your fault if someone tries to trick you. Telling helps.

The story: The Case of the Free Gems

On a big phone screen, Mei and Marcus find three clues in a fake free-gems message and decide to tell a grown-up.

  1. Helper: Message alert, detectives! Something here looks fishy.
  2. Mei: It says, “You won 5,000 free gems! Act now!”
  3. Marcus: Clue one: a free prize. Clue two: it rushes us.
  4. Mei: Now it wants my password. That’s clue three!
  5. Marcus: Scammers pretend to be games or friends. Don’t click. Don’t reply.
  6. Mei: Let’s show a grown-up. That’s what detectives do.
  7. Helper: Case closed! Too good to be true? Stop, don’t click, tell.

The game: Scam or Real?

Tap every scam clue in this pretend message. Some lines are fine.

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

New words

scam
a trick to take your money, stuff or info
scammer
a person who tries to trick you
too good to be true
an offer so great it’s probably a trick
report
tell someone who can help

Questions at the end

  • Which message has scam clues?
  • A message asks for your password. What’s the first move?
  • Someone says, “I sent you a code by mistake. Read it to me.” What do you do?

Remember this

Too good to be true? Stop, don’t click, tell.

Talk about it

Tell your kid about a scam message you got and how you spotted it.

Try it at home: Make a “Stop, don’t click, tell” sign

  1. Make a sign that says “Stop, don’t click, tell.”
  2. Put it where your family uses screens.
  3. Show it to a grown-up and explain it.

This whole mission is free. No account or app needed.

For grown-ups: live facts

School standards

  • National Standards for Personal Financial Education: Managing Risk

Builds on

Leads to

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