Helping Young People Spot Phishing, Scams, and Catfishing Online

Estimated read time: 4-6 minutes

Phishing, scams, and catfishing are no longer rare “grown‑up problems.” They show up in the same places young people spend their time—text messages, email, social media, and games. For a child or teen, it can be hard to tell the difference between a real opportunity and a risky trap.

The goal isn’t to make young people afraid of the internet. The goal is to help them recognize warning signs, pause before reacting, and know they can come to a trusted adult if something feels off. You don’t have to be a cybersecurity expert to teach these skills—small, practical conversations can make a big difference.

What do “phishing,” “scams,” and “catfishing” mean?

Young people often hear these words without a clear explanation. A simple, judgment‑free definition can go a long way.

You might explain them this way:

Phishing: when someone pretends to be a company, school, or person you know to trick you into clicking a link, giving personal information, or sharing passwords.
Scam: any trick to get your money, your information, or your images—for example, “You’ve won a prize,” “Easy money,” or fake jobs or opportunities.
Catfishing: when someone uses a fake identity online—photos, name, or profile—to hide who they really are and gain your trust.

Keep the focus on the behavior, not on blaming the person who gets targeted. These tactics are designed to be convincing, even for adults.

Common places young people encounter scams

Children and teens can come across scams in almost any digital space they use regularly.

Some examples include:

Direct messages on social media offering gifts, money, or “collabs.”
In‑game chats offering free items, currency, or upgrades in exchange for codes or personal information.
Text messages claiming there is a problem with a package, account, or payment.
Emails that look like they are from a school or familiar service but ask for login details.

Let young people know that scammers and those intent on exploiting others use the same apps and games they do. The problem is not that they’re online—it’s that some people misuse those spaces.

Things to watch for

You can teach some things that apply to many phishing attempts, scams, and catfishing situations.

Too good to be true
- “Free money,” “instant fame,” “guaranteed” opportunities, or prizes for things you don’t remember entering.
- High‑paying “jobs” that ask for personal info up front or promise fast cash for very little work.
Pressure and urgency
- Messages that say you must act “right now” or something bad will happen—“Your account will be locked,” “Your friend is in danger,” or “This offer expires in minutes.”
- People who get upset if you want to slow down, ask questions, or talk to an adult.
Secrecy and moving the conversation
- Someone wanting to move quickly from a public space into private chats, disappearing messages, or new apps.
- Requests to keep the conversation secret from parents, caregivers, teachers, or friends.
Things that don’t seem right

Misspellings, such as Amaz0n in a URL or e-mail address, and misleading domain names that try to nest real-looking websites within other domain addresses (www.fbigov.localhost, www.localhost.test/fbigov – these examples use fake extensions to show formatting, but real scammers will use live URLs).

Explain that seeing even one of these signs is a good reason to pause and check before responding.

A simple “pause, verify, tell” framework

When something feels suspicious, it can be hard for a young person to know what to do in the moment. A simple, repeatable framework can help: Pause, Verify, Tell.

Pause

Don’t click links, don’t send codes, and don’t share personal information right away.
Take a breath. If the message is real, it should still be there after you’ve checked.

Verify

Help them practice questions like:

“Do I know this person in real life?”
“Does this sound like something this company or friend would actually say?”
“Can I check this by going to the official website or talking to the person another way?”

For example, if they get a strange message “from school,” you can show them how to go directly to the school portal or contact the office instead of using the link in the message.

Tell

Encourage them to tell a trusted adult about suspicious messages—before responding if possible.
Take screen shots and report the interactions to the platform or platforms.
Normalize this by saying, “People try to trick adults like this too. It’s smart to double‑check.”

The more you repeat “Pause, Verify, Tell,” the more likely they are to remember it in a stressful moment.

Talking about catfishing and fake profiles

Catfishing can be especially confusing because the conversation may feel positive at first. It’s important to talk about why people might fake an identity and how to notice inconsistencies without shaming the young person.

You can discuss:

How easy it is to steal photos or create a convincing profile.
Signs that something doesn’t add up—stories that change, refusing any form of video, or always having an excuse for not meeting in safe, supervised ways.
The importance of never sharing personal, financial, or intimate content with someone they only know online, even if they feel close.

Reassure them that being tricked by a fake profile does not mean they are “naive” or “at fault.” These tactics are designed to be misleading.

Practicing with real‑life examples

Young people learn best with concrete examples. You can safely practice spotting red flags by looking at sample messages together.

You might:

Search for “example phishing email for kids” or similar phrases on trusted safety sites.
Adults get phishing e-mails and messages all the time, as well, offering an opportunity to share with children a real message and how to respond properly.
Create your own pretend messages on paper and ask, “What do you notice about this?”
Talk through what they would do, using “Pause, Verify, Tell.”

Keep the tone light and collaborative: “Let’s see how many clues we can find,” rather than testing or quizzing them.

Responding if something already happened

Sometimes a child or teen will only talk about a scam, phishing attempt, or catfishing situation after it has already gone wrong—especially if they feel embarrassed or worried about getting in trouble.

When that happens, how you respond matters:

Thank them for telling you and acknowledge how hard that can be.
Avoid blaming language; focus on safety and next steps.
Work together to save important evidence (screenshots, usernames) if it’s safe to do so. In some cases, directly capturing screenshots in an app may alert the other person or escalate the situation, which can increase risk for the child. When that is a concern, it may be safer to use another device (for example, a caregiver’s phone) to photograph the screen on the child’s device instead.
Block and report the account on the platform, but only after preserving evidence. Consider reporting the situation to law enforcement, as well.

Depending on what happened, you may also reach out to the school, local services, or appropriate hotlines for additional support. You don’t have to handle it alone.

Your role in building safer online habits

Phishing, scams, and catfishing will likely continue to evolve. But the protective skills you help young people develop—slowing down, asking questions, and reaching out for help—are powerful defenses in any digital space.

You don’t need a special title or advanced technical knowledge to teach these skills. Your steady presence, your willingness to talk, and your readiness to listen without judgment can change how a young person responds when a risky message appears in their inbox or on their screen.

A good next step is to share this “Pause, Verify, Tell” framework with the other adults around your child—teachers, caregivers, family, and community leaders—so you’re all reinforcing the same message. Together, you can help make the online world a safer place for the young people in your care.