5 ways to protect your family from scams

Online threats to young people are a major concern for parents and experts, with children encountering a host of issues around screen addiction, body image, bullying, grooming and scams.

The UK Safer Internet Centre (UKSIC) has unveiled alarming new data on children's exposure to online scams to mark Safer Internet Day (11 February). 

Its research found that eight in 10 people aged between 8 and 17 encounter scams online at least once a month, while almost half see them at least once a week and one in five are exposed every day.

Most alarming is that around half have been scammed online, with one in 10 losing money.

As worrying as the research is, parents and guardians are not powerless in the fight against online harm. By following some simple steps and sharing basic fraud prevention advice, you can reduce the risks they face.

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1. Have a conversation

With limited life experience, children and young people may struggle to tell genuine sites and apps from malicious fake content.

That's why it's vital to teach them the fundamentals of online safety and scam prevention, such as being wary of anything which seems too good to be true. That doesn't just apply to offers and competitions, but to profiles of people appearing to lead flash lifestyles and offering opportunities or courses on how to 'get rich quick.'

Teach them the 'Take 5' rules to:

• Stop - always stop and think about how to verify requests before parting with your money or personal information.
• Challenge - young people need to know that they should trust their gut feelings of unease and can break off any online contact that doesn't feel right. 
• Protect - they also need to know who their trusted adults are – those who can offer non-judgemental support and can come to with questions or concerns about things they've encountered online. 

2. Supervise new content

Whether your child wants to download an app or create an account on social media, ensure you access new content together. As a parent or guardian, it's important to check new content carefully before allowing your child to give away their information, as many scam and copycat apps and sites exist to steal your money and personal data.

With apps it's important to check who published the app, what the age rating is, whether it's well-reviewed in the app store and whether there are in-app purchases (also known as micropayments). 

It's sometimes possible for children to make these payments without realising it (for example, by buying new items within a game) and the first clue is a list of small payments on your card statement – so make sure you understand exactly how this works before letting your child loose.

3. Set strong passwords

Make sure your children are using strong, unique passwords on their online accounts and opting-in to two-factor authentication (2FA) wherever this is offered.

If they're using a password manager then they can opt for random strings of numbers, letters and symbols.

If relying on their own memory, the child could opt for a passphrase consisting of three or more random words such as 'PinkSpaghettiAustralia'.

• Learn more about setting up strong passwords and 2FA.

4. Set a family password

Agreeing a password known only to immediate family can help both you and your children identify impostors posing as loved ones.

The now infamous 'Hi mum/dad' scam typically involves a WhatsApp message claiming to be from the new number of your adult son or daughter. 'They' quickly go on to request cash from you.

Your first instinct may be to help immediately and without question. But it's commonplace for social media and also email accounts to be hacked by criminals who then bombard the victim's contacts with messages containing sob stories and pleas for financial help.

The request may be for a bank transfer (to an account under a different name than your genuine loved one) or it may be for payment in gift cards.

If you or your child ever receives any unexpected message like this, a family password provides a quick way of verifying the messages.  

However, you should also speak to the alleged author of the message, either face to face or by calling their original phone number yourself, to check the message is real. 

5. Check privacy settings

If your child has social media accounts, check their profile while logged out (or view it using another profile) to see which information they've made publicly available - and change privacy settings where necessary.

Information which identifies their location, school or birthday could put them at greater risk of identity theft or being groomed by an online scammer or abuser. 

There's also a risk of jigsaw identification - where fraudsters and malicious actors can piece together information from your child's different public profiles to build up a more comprehensive picture of their life and identity. That's why it's important to step back and consider the bigger picture of your child's online presence.