Today's teens spend more time online than any generation before them. Whether it's gaming, social media, shopping, or messaging friends, the internet offers incredible opportunities, but it also gives scammers new ways to target young people.
Scammers often count on curiosity, excitement, fear, or the desire to fit in. The good news? Knowing what these scams look like is one of the best ways to avoid becoming a victim.
Here are five of the most common scams targeting teens and what families can do to stay safe.
- Fake Job Offers
- Online Shopping Scams
- Gaming Scams
- Phishing Scams
- Talent Scouting and Modeling Scams
Red Flags to Look Out For With Any Scam:
- Fees for things that don’t normally cost money.
- Request personal or banking information from you.
- Pressure you to pay immediately or face a consequence (lose access to your account, lose money, etc.)
- Make offers that sound too good to be true (rare items, upgrades, or sales).
What to do if you think you’ve been scammed:
- Shut your card off – you can do this through online banking or the mobile app, or you can visit with one of our team members.
- Report the potential scam to your local banker. They can walk you through the next steps to secure your account, including getting you a new card.
- In addition to your bank, you should also report any fraud attempts to your local police department and relevant government agencies.
- You can report to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at ftc.gov.
- Check your statements for any further unusual activity and report to the previously mentioned authorities.
- Tell your friends and family about your experience to warn them of potential attacks.
Tips for Parents
Open conversations are one of the strongest protections against online scams.
- Talk regularly about online safety without judgment.
- Encourage your teen to come to you if something goes wrong.
- Discuss common scams before they happen. Your local Availa banker is a great resource for information on scams and how to avoid them.
- Review privacy settings together.
- Help teens recognize emotional manipulation, urgency, and "too good to be true" offers.
- Reinforce that asking for help is always the right choice.
How Can Availa Bank Help?
Remember, as an Availa Bank customer, you have protections against scam attempts also.
- Encourage your teen to develop a strong relationship with their local banker so that they can work together quickly to stop fraud before it happens.
- Bankers can help you set real-time alerts on your accounts for fraud and balances. This can help you track not only how your money is being spent, but also where it’s being spent.
- Card controls are available to allow you to shut your card on and off in real-time, as well as set daily limits for expenses.
We’re here to help, so give us a call if you have questions today!
