Click, Pause, Think: Teaching pupils to outsmart online scams

Online scams are everywhere, targeting both children and adults alike. So how do we prepare our pupils to navigate this growing online threat? At King’s Ely Prep, we tackle this issue head-on by empowering our pupils with the knowledge and tools to identify and avoid online scams.

For Younger Pupils

Our younger pupils in Year 3 often use tablets with a limited selection of apps, which reduces their exposure to wider online dangers but doesn’t eliminate the risks. Scams targeting this age group often appear as tempting pop-ups in games or videos—“WIN a NEW iPAD!” or “FREE ROBUX!”

Teaching children to pause and question these offers is key. We start with the mantra: “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.” We also use examples from the excellent resources provided by the UK Safer Internet Centre to illustrate how these scams work. Encouraging pupils to share their own stories about clicking on suspicious links helps normalize discussions about mistakes and creates a safe space to learn.

Google’s Be Internet Awesome resources, particularly the “Don’t Fall for Fake” lessons, are a fantastic tool for this age group. These resources provide real and fake websites, pop-ups, emails, and advertisements for pupils to analyse. The accompanying Reality River game reinforces the learning in an engaging way. Many of our Year 8 pupils still enjoy playing the Interland games while continuing to learn from them.

For Older Pupils

Older pupils may already know basic safety rules, such as avoiding sharing personal information or being wary of unrealistic offers. Yet, even with this knowledge, they can still fall for clever tricks. Adolescents are naturally curious and may “just try it” to see what happens. This makes it important to get them to pause and think before they act.

We take the time to explain the consequences of falling for these scams. For example, sharing an email address could result in endless spam or, worse, expose them to further phishing attempts. By pulling back the curtain on how scammers profit—such as selling email addresses—we make these risks tangible and relatable. The classic (though now retired) Hector’s World series once illustrated this concept beautifully, with the INFO Gang stealing personal data from fish to sell to unscrupulous sharks.

By Year 6, pupils also learn about clickbait by critically examining headlines and images to assess their credibility. Discussions often expand to how websites profit through advertisements and how some sites use clickbait to keep users scrolling—for example, “Taylor Swift Has a Pet Unicorn.”

Clickbait and Critical Thinking

Clickbait is a great way to teach older pupils about online manipulation. We explore how exaggerated or misleading headlines, like “Taylor Swift Has a Pet Unicorn,” are designed to draw attention and keep users engaged. These headlines may lead to pages filled with ads and irrelevant content, with the “answer” buried deep in the article. For instance, after eight paragraphs of scrolling, the article might reveal that the unicorn was just a dream Taylor Swift once had, recounted by a distant relative.

By crafting their own humorous clickbait examples, pupils learn to identify the signs of manipulative content. This hands-on approach fosters their critical thinking skills and helps them pause before clicking.

Building Awareness and Resilience

Ultimately, we want our pupils to question everything they see online. Why is this content here? Where will it take me? How does this site make money from me? Open discussions about what can go wrong, combined with reassurance that mistakes happen, are key to building pupils’ resilience.

With the right education and tools, we can help pupils develop the confidence to pause, reflect, and make informed decisions online. Together, we can arm the next generation against the risks of online scams while encouraging a healthy dose of curiosity and critical thinking.

Recommended Resources

1. UK Safer Internet Centre: Provides excellent examples of common online scams.
2. Be Internet Awesome (Google): Features “Don’t Fall for Fake” lessons and interactive games like Reality River and Interland.
3. Common Sense Education: Offers Digital Citizenship lessons from Year 1 to Year 13, covering topics like phishing, clickbait, and fake news. These lessons are tailored to specific age groups, ensuring pupils are prepared for online challenges at every stage.