Teaching Children & Teens About Online Scams in Australia
One in four Australian teenagers fall victim to social media scams. Children lost over $129,700 in 2024. Here's how to protect your family with age-appropriate scam education.
Over $129,700 was stolen from Australian children and teens in 2024 across 198 reported incidents. One in four teenagers fell victim to social media scams.
Among children aged 10 to 15, 96% have used social media platforms, and 91% of teens aged 14 to 18 own mobile devices. These numbers point to a generation growing up online, navigating digital spaces where scammers are waiting.
The positive news? 78% of teens learn scam detection skills from their families, according to research from Westpac. Parents remain the most trusted source of safety information. That means you have more influence than you might think, even if your teenagers roll their eyes when you ask about their Instagram feed. This guide will show you how to have those conversations in ways that actually work.
Why Children Are Prime Targets
According to Australia's eSafety Commissioner , 80% of children aged 8 to 12 used one or more social media services in 2024.
This is despite most platforms having a minimum age requirement of 13. Kids are accessing these spaces earlier than ever, and they're doing it without the life experience needed to spot manipulation.
Children and teenagers are particularly vulnerable because they have less experience recognizing when they're being manipulated. They're more trusting of online personas, more susceptible to peer pressure, and more likely to believe someone offering them something for free.
Scammers exploit their desire for social acceptance, their obsession with gaming achievements, and their need for online popularity.
The psychology is simple: scammers target the things kids care about most. Free Robux. Exclusive skins. Being part of a giveaway. That crush who messages them on Instagram. These aren't random tactics. They're calculated to bypass the critical thinking skills that develop with age and experience.
Gaming Scams That Target Australian Kids
In 2022, scammers created over 878,000 phishing pages targeting popular games. Of those, 823,000 specifically targeted Roblox.
Think about that for a moment. Over 800,000 fake websites designed to steal from children playing one game. The scale is staggering, and the tactics are getting more sophisticated.
Common Gaming Scam Tactics
Free Robux offers are everywhere. Kids click on links promising free currency, enter their account credentials on fake websites, and hand over access to their accounts.
Double-your-currency scams involve players offering to multiply Robux for a small fee upfront. The money disappears along with the scammer.
Fake discount items promising rare skins or exclusive gear never arrive, but the payment goes through immediately. Account takeover scams phish for passwords and personal information. Virus-riddled download links disguised as game mods or cheats install malware that can compromise the entire family's network.
Roblox responded in November 2024 by restricting private messaging for users under 13 to reduce exploitation risks. That's a step forward, but it doesn't eliminate the problem. The scams have moved to other platforms, other games, other methods. Fortnite and Minecraft players face similar tactics with V-Bucks and in-game items.
Social Media Scams Targeting Teens
Social media is now the number one platform criminals use to target young Australians. It overtook email in 2024, and the shift makes sense. Kids live on Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat. That's where scammers go to find them.
Fake giveaway scams flood feeds with posts asking users to "tag 3 friends to win an iPhone." These harvest personal data and follower lists.
Impersonation scams involve criminals hacking accounts or creating lookalike profiles, then messaging friends asking for money or gift cards.
Romance scams build emotional connections through fake profiles before requesting financial help. Fake online stores on Instagram sell items that never arrive, with victims losing an average of $200 per transaction.
Phishing links disguised as account verification requests lead to credential theft pages designed to look identical to the real platform.
The emotional manipulation runs deep. A teenager who thinks they're helping a friend in crisis will send money without questioning. A young person who believes they're in a romantic relationship will ignore warning signs. The scams work because they exploit trust, urgency, and the desire to be helpful.
Marketplace Scams When Teens Buy and Sell
Teenagers buying and selling on Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree face scams that average $600 in losses per incident. That's a significant hit for a young person working part-time or saving birthday money.
Sellers demand payment before delivery, then vanish. Buyers send fake payment confirmations that look legitimate until the seller checks their actual bank balance. Overpayment scams request refunds of "excess" amounts sent via fake checks or transfers. Learn more about online marketplace scams and how they operate.
What to Teach Children Aged 8 to 12
Simple, Concrete Rules for Younger Children
Never share passwords with friends, even best friends. Only parents should know passwords. This rule protects them from account compromises when friendships change or when friends inadvertently share credentials.
Free items in games are usually fake. If someone offers free Robux, V-Bucks, or skins, it's probably a scam. Teach them that game companies make money by selling these items. They're not giving them away to random players who click suspicious links.
Ask a parent before clicking links sent by people you don't know in real life. This single rule prevents most phishing attempts targeting this age group.
Tell a parent immediately if someone asks for personal information, photos, or wants to meet up. Frame this as a safety rule, not a threat. Kids need to know they won't get in trouble for reporting uncomfortable situations.
Real companies don't ask for passwords. Roblox, Fortnite, and Minecraft will never message asking for login credentials. No legitimate company ever will.
The key with this age group is repetition without lecturing. Work these concepts into everyday conversations about their gaming and online activities. Ask what they're playing, who they're talking to, what's new in their favorite game. These casual check-ins build the foundation for more complex discussions later.
What to Teach Teens Aged 13 to 17
Teenagers need to develop critical thinking skills that apply across situations.
Question urgency and pressure
Scammers create fake urgency with messages like "Offer expires in 1 hour!" to prevent victims from thinking critically. Teach your teens that legitimate offers don't disappear if you take time to verify them.
Verify identities independently
If a friend messages asking for money, call or text them separately using a number you already have saved. Accounts get hacked. Messages get spoofed. A quick phone call confirms whether the request is real.
Research before buying online
Check reviews, reverse image search products to find if photos are stolen, verify seller legitimacy through independent sources.
Understand data privacy
Every app and website collects data about your behaviour, preferences, and contacts. Read privacy policies, or at least skim them to understand what you're agreeing to. Limit what you share publicly because that information can be used to target you with personalised scams.
Use payment protection
Never pay via bank transfer, cryptocurrency, or gift cards for online purchases. Use PayPal or credit cards with buyer protection instead. These payment methods offer recourse if something goes wrong. Gift cards and crypto transactions are irreversible, which is exactly why scammers demand them.
Recognise romance scams
Online relationships that quickly become intense and request money are scams. Real relationships develop gradually. Real romantic interests don't ask for financial help within weeks of meeting online. Learn more about romance scams and pig butchering tactics specifically designed to target young people.
Creating a Scam-Aware Household
Research from Westpac shows that family is the number one source of scam education for teenagers. Not schools, not social media, not their friends.
You have more influence than you realise. The question is how to use that influence effectively.
Practical Strategies That Work
Have regular conversations about online safety, not just one-off lectures when something goes wrong. Work scam awareness into everyday discussions. "Hey, I got this weird text today claiming to be from the bank. Want to see how I knew it was fake?" This approach normalizes skepticism and critical thinking.
Share your own experiences with suspicious messages or scam attempts. When kids see that adults also get targeted, they're more likely to talk about their own experiences.
Create a no-blame environment where children feel safe reporting mistakes or scams. This is crucial. If a child loses money to a scam and fears getting in trouble, they won't tell you until the damage is worse. Make it clear that everyone makes mistakes, and reporting problems early minimizes harm.
Set up SafeAus Family Protection to monitor and block scams together. This gives you visibility into threats without feeling like surveillance.
Review privacy settings on all social media and gaming accounts together, explaining why each setting matters rather than just changing them silently.
Establish spending rules for online purchases and in-game transactions. Kids should understand the difference between spending real money and using in-game currency. Use parental controls on devices, but explain why rather than imposing them without discussion. Controls work better when kids understand the reasoning behind them.
Encourage critical questions that they can apply to any situation. Why do they need this information? What happens if I don't act immediately? If this is legitimate, can I verify it through another channel? These questions become habits that protect them long after they've left home.
Warning Signs Your Child May Be Targeted
Secretive behaviour about online activities or new "friends" often indicates something's wrong. Kids normally share details about their online lives. Sudden privacy can mean they're involved in something they know you'd disapprove of.
Unexpected purchases or requests for gift cards, cryptocurrency, or money are red flags. If your child who never cared about gift cards suddenly needs a $100 iTunes card, ask questions.
Anxiety about checking messages or fear of disappointing someone online suggests emotional manipulation. Scammers create urgency and obligation. If your child seems stressed about online commitments or worried about letting down an online contact, investigate.
New accounts or profiles you don't recognise could indicate they're hiding activities or that someone's impersonating them. Defensive reactions when asked about online activities usually mean something's not right, though be careful not to confuse teenage privacy needs with genuine secretiveness about problems.
Increased screen time focused specifically on gaming or social media platforms, combined with other warning signs, may indicate involvement in scams or exploitation. Emotional distress after online interactions, especially if your child won't explain what happened, needs gentle but persistent follow-up.
Resources from the eSafety Commissioner
Australia's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has emphasized that age restrictions are just one part of a holistic approach to online safety. The commission provides free resources specifically designed for different audiences.
For Parents
Visit esafety.gov.au/parents for age-appropriate advice covering every developmental stage from toddlers to teens.
The site includes privacy settings guides for all major platforms, conversation starters and talking points that actually work with kids, and online safety agreements you can customise for your family.
For Educators
Find classroom lesson plans and activities at esafety.gov.au/educators .
Includes digital literacy curriculum resources that integrate into existing lesson plans, student worksheets and interactive modules designed to engage different learning styles, and professional development opportunities for teachers.
For Young People
Access resources at esafety.gov.au/young-people written in language that speaks to them directly.
The site explains what to do if they see harmful content, how to report cyberbullying (reports increased 455% since 2019), privacy and security tips presented without condescension, and where to get help and support when things go wrong.
Understanding Australia's Social Media Age Restrictions
The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 raised the minimum age for creating or maintaining social media accounts from 13 to 16. The intention is to protect younger children from age-inappropriate content and exploitation. The reality is that enforcement remains difficult.
Eighty percent of children aged 8 to 12 still access social media despite age restrictions. Platforms under review for inclusion in the expanded ban include Roblox, Twitch, Steam, and Discord. These aren't traditional social media sites, but they contain social features that raise similar concerns.
Here's the thing: parents cannot rely solely on age restrictions to protect their children. Laws create barriers, but determined kids find workarounds. Active education and monitoring remain essential regardless of what regulations exist.
The conversation about online safety never ends. It evolves as your children grow, as new platforms emerge, as scammers develop new tactics. What works for an 8-year-old won't work for a 14-year-old. But the foundation remains the same: trust, open communication, and teaching critical thinking skills that serve them throughout their lives.