According to new research from Virgin Media O2, nearly half of Brit teens have fallen victim to a scam text, so we’ve found the top three scams that you should be watching out for
It’s not just pensioners that are struggling to detect online scams. Even tech-savvy teens and kids coming of age in an online world are falling victim to phishing schemes.
Phishing is a specific type of scam that uses fake emails, text messages and phone calls to trick victims into downloading predatory viruses or sharing personal banking details. According to new research from Virgin Media O2, a quarter of British teens are likely to be lured in by a scam text, with nearly half (48%) believing a scam deal was real. More specifically, the research reveals that a quarter (26%) of 13-16 year olds are likely to be lured in by a scam text.
With the rising prevalence of sextortion shakedowns targeting teens and the recent Vinted scam that targeted a 15-year old Cheshire girl, parents are beginning to realise that even tech-savvy teens aren’t safe from scammers.
It seems scammers are best able to target teens by referencing their most-visited apps and activities. Fake job offers to work for TikTok are one of the most prevalent teen text scams, which is unsurprising given the number of young people on the app.
The minimum age to use TikTok is only 13 years old, however the company has been criticised for its relaxed proof-of-age policy and safeguards which enables under-13s to easily sign up.
One example of a TikTok job offer scam reads: “Hello, I am from Tiktok Human Resources Department. We sincerely invite you to use your free time to watch TikTok videos and help to click like the videos. You can get paid by 300-800 pounds per day. We are waiting for you and look forward to working with you. Please contact us as soon as possible to get job details. ”
Another prevalent text scam targets young gamers, offering free account credits for online gaming networks.
An example of which reads: “Good news! Your account has been credited with your December winnings. View them here: To unsub .”
A third common scam centres on missed parcel deliveries. Teens commonly receive texts like the following: “ EVRIÔºöYours mail package was damaged during transportation, causing the address information to be lost and unable to be delivered. Please be sure to update the address in the link within 12 hours. ”
O2’s study revealed that nearly a quarter (23%) of 13-16 year olds didn’t know scammers could pretend to be from their favourite brand. This accounts for the success of phishing scams mimicking gaming sites and TikTok.
In light of the rising dangers facing teens, Virgin Media O2 has doubled their efforts to fight fraud with AI-powered spam fighting tools and the launch of their Find the Right Words campaign to encourage parents to discuss online safety with their children.