Latest news with #UKSaferInternetCentre
BBC News
11-02-2025
- BBC News
Almost half of children in Wales scammed online, research shows
More than 40% of children in Wales have been scammed online, according to new findings by the UK Safer Internet Centre have been released to mark Safer Internet at Griffithstown Primary School, in Pontypool, Torfaen, are teaching pupils aged between seven and 11 about recognising Thomas, a teacher leading the class, said it is important to "prepare" the children at a young age so they are less susceptible to a scam in the future. Ms Thomas said children are "more likely" to be the victim of an online scam as we "enter a more digital age"."If it is too good to be true then it probably is. Manipulative language, the use of emotive language, or saying that they are in trouble on the scam," she said the aim of the class is not to make "pupils panic", but to ensure that they remain calm when faced with a scammer."Never reveal any personal information. If they are unsure they can talk to a trusted adult in school, and outside of school," Ms Thomas added. Ms Thomas said Artificial Intelligence (AI) is something that teachers now have to be "mindful" about in a school setting."Just making sure that pupils are aware of what is real and what is fake so they know how to stay safe with this emerging technology," she half of teenagers feel that online scams are getting more convincing, and around a third of young people worry that the use of new technology, such as AI, will make scams much harder to identify, the research people are most commonly becoming victims of fake giveaways often tricking people into sharing personal information and online shopping scams. Oliver, 10, is a pupil at the school and has been given an exercise focusing on an offer about a computer game."It says click here for unlimited Roblox tokens and then says 10,000 tokens. So that's misinformation and normally when something sounds too good to be true, it is too good to be true," he said. Lyra, also 10, said you should "always think" about what you are doing when you are onlineMore than 80% of children aged between eight and 17 spot a scam at least one a month, according to the also found scams can impact victims emotionally with many people, including children, blaming themselves. Headteacher Nick Blackburn said it is "important" for his pupils to know what a scam looks like."There are so many traps out there that they could fall into. It's important we show them all the opportunities that ensure that they are safe," he are calls for more support to tackle online crime and help young people stay safe of the UK Safer Internet Centre Will Gardner said "education is key".The centre is now focusing on supporting intergenerational learning, for children, parents and carers."For too long, young people have been overlooked, yet our research clearly demonstrates how much of an impact online scams can have on them," he said.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Yahoo
Almost half of children have been scammed online
Almost half of children have been scammed online, according to a study conducted for safer internet day. A survey of 2,000 young people aged eight to 17 found 46 per cent had been victims of online scams and nearly one in 10 (9 per cent) had lost money in the process. The most common frauds experienced by young people were fake giveaways, phishing and fake websites, followed by online shopping scams, including fake ticket sales, and so-called 'trust trades' in gaming. Almost a fifth of young people (18 per cent) knew someone their age who had lost money to an online scam, according to the poll for the UK Safer Internet Centre (UKSIC). A quarter of those who have fallen victim (26 per cent) say they blamed themselves, increasing to 37 per cent of 17-year-olds. Almost half of young people (47 per cent) said they believed embarrassment was the main barrier to seeking help if they were scammed online. Will Gardner, the UKSIC director, said: 'This Safer Internet Day, we want to put the importance of protecting children from online scams on the agenda. 'For too long, young people have been overlooked, yet our research clearly demonstrates how much of an impact online scams can have on them.' Exposure to scams is a regular part of life online for young people, with 79 per cent coming across them at least once a month, almost half (45 per cent) at least once a week, and 20 per cent seeing scams online every day. Some 81 per cent of parents and carers and 43 per cent of teenagers believed online scams were getting more convincing, and around a third of young people (32 per cent) worried that the use of new technology, such as generative artificial intelligence, will make scams harder to identify. A separate study from Vodafone, also released for Safer Internet Day, suggested that approaching one million British children aged 11 to 16 have been scammed online in the last 12 months, with those aged 13 most likely to be affected. One fifth of these scams (22 per cent) are occurring on gaming platforms, while 78 per cent take place on social media platforms. Focus groups revealed that fraudsters were taking advantage of trusted platforms and the way they were designed to target young people, capitalising on their vulnerabilities, including financial insecurity, reliance on technology and social pressure. Young people said the most common scams were ads or quizzes which appeared to be from well-known brands but were in fact luring them into parting with personal information or buying fake products. The Vodafone study, which analysed the experiences of 2,000 parents and children, as well as more than 4,800 teachers, suggested that over 3,000 attempts are made to scam young people online every day. Helen Westerman, the campaigns manager at the NSPCC, said: 'These findings paint a deeply concerning picture of how online scams are affecting young people's wellbeing, with nearly a million children targeted in the past year alone. 'What's particularly worrying is that 60 per cent of young people don't know where to turn for help, often leaving them to deal with both financial losses and emotional trauma in silence.' Vodafone said it was currently blocking 1.7 million calls a day from known scammers. It is opening a 'Phish 'N' Tips' shop in central London on February 20 to offer families free expert advice to help spot online scams and deal with them. Anyone who has been scammed online should report it to Action Fraud or call 0300 123 2040 (in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or report it to Police Scotland by calling 101 (in Scotland).
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Yahoo
Almost half of children have been scammed online, UK study finds
Almost half of children aged between eight and 17 have been scammed online – with a quarter blaming themselves, according to a report based on children in the UK. Exposure to scams is a regular part of life online for young people, with 79% coming across them at least once a month, almost half (45%) at least once a week, and 20% seeing scams online every day, according to research released by the UK Safer Internet Centre (UKSIC) to mark Safer Internet Day. A survey found 46% of young people have been scammed online and 9% – including eight-year-olds – have lost money in the process. Some 81% of parents and carers and 43% of teenagers believe that online scams are getting more convincing, and around a third of young people (32%) worry that the use of new technology, such as generative artificial intelligence, will make scams harder to identify. The most common scams experienced by young people are fake giveaways, phishing and fake websites, followed by online shopping scams, including fake ticket sales, and so-called 'trust trades' in gaming. Almost a fifth of young people (18%) know someone their age who has lost money to an online scam, the poll found. A quarter of those who have fallen victim (26%) say they blamed themselves, increasing to 37% of 17-year-olds. Almost half of young people (47%) said they believed that embarrassment was the main barrier to seeking help if they were scammed online. UKSIC director Will Gardner, said: 'This Safer Internet Day, we want to put the importance of protecting children from online scams on the agenda. 'For too long, young people have been overlooked, yet our research clearly demonstrates how much of an impact online scams can have on them.' A separate study from Vodafone, also released for Safer Internet Day, suggests that approaching one million British children aged 11 to 16 have been scammed online in the last 12 months, with those aged 13 most likely to be affected. One fifth of these scams (22%) are occurring on gaming platforms, while 78% take place on social media platforms. Focus groups revealed that fraudsters were taking advantage of trusted platforms and the way they were designed to target young people, capitalising on their vulnerabilities, including financial insecurity, reliance on technology and and social pressure. Young people said the most common scams were ads or quizzes which appeared to be from well-known brands but were in fact luring them into parting with personal information or buying fake products. The study, which analysed the experiences of 2,000 parents and children, as well as more than 4,800 teachers, suggests that over 3,000 attempts are made to scam young people online every day. Helen Westerman, campaigns manager at the NSPCC, said: 'These findings paint a deeply concerning picture of how online scams are affecting young people's wellbeing, with nearly a million children targeted in the past year alone. 'What's particularly worrying is that 60% of young people don't know where to turn for help, often leaving them to deal with both financial losses and emotional trauma in silence. 'The impact of these scams goes far beyond the immediate financial loss. We're seeing children experience anxiety, depression, and withdrawal from activities they once enjoyed. 'This is why it's crucial that parents and carers create an open dialogue about online safety with their children, ensuring young people feel they can come forward without fear of judgment if they've been targeted by scammers.' Nicki Lyons, chief corporate affairs and sustainability officer at Vodafone UK, said: 'The online world is part of everyday life, but young people can only make the most of this if they feel safe to do so. 'As our latest study shows, scams targeting young people on the platforms they use regularly are on the rise and becoming ever-more sophisticated, so it's important that calls to make the internet safer are heard.' Vodafone said it was currently blocking 1.7 million calls a day from known scammers.
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Yahoo
Almost half of children aged between eight and 17 ‘have been scammed online'
Almost half of children aged between eight and 17 have been scammed online – with a quarter blaming themselves, according to a report. Exposure to scams is a regular part of life online for young people, with 79% coming across them at least once a month, almost half (45%) at least once a week, and 20% seeing scams online every day, according to research released by the UK Safer Internet Centre (UKSIC) to mark Safer Internet Day. A survey found 46% of young people have been scammed online and 9% – including eight-year-olds – have lost money in the process. Some 81% of parents and carers and 43% of teenagers believe that online scams are getting more convincing, and around a third of young people (32%) worry that the use of new technology, such as generative artificial intelligence, will make scams harder to identify. The most common scams experienced by young people are fake giveaways, phishing and fake websites, followed by online shopping scams, including fake ticket sales, and so-called 'trust trades' in gaming. Want to know more about #SaferInternetDay and how you can get involved? Interested in hearing about the free resources available to help you teach about online scams? Join the free Safer Internet Day 2025 Webinars for Teachers and Educators this January! Learn more from our… — UK Safer Internet Centre (@UK_SIC) January 6, 2025 Almost a fifth of young people (18%) know someone their age who has lost money to an online scam, the poll found. A quarter of those who have fallen victim (26%) say they blamed themselves, increasing to 37% of 17-year-olds. Almost half of young people (47%) said they believed that embarrassment was the main barrier to seeking help if they were scammed online. UKSIC director Will Gardner, said: 'This Safer Internet Day, we want to put the importance of protecting children from online scams on the agenda. 'For too long, young people have been overlooked, yet our research clearly demonstrates how much of an impact online scams can have on them.' A separate study from Vodafone, also released for Safer Internet Day, suggests that approaching one million British children aged 11 to 16 have been scammed online in the last 12 months, with those aged 13 most likely to be affected. One fifth of these scams (22%) are occurring on gaming platforms, while 78% take place on social media platforms. Focus groups revealed that fraudsters were taking advantage of trusted platforms and the way they were designed to target young people, capitalising on their vulnerabilities, including financial insecurity, reliance on technology and and social pressure. Young people said the most common scams were ads or quizzes which appeared to be from well-known brands but were in fact luring them into parting with personal information or buying fake products. The study, which analysed the experiences of 2,000 parents and children, as well as more than 4,800 teachers, suggests that over 3,000 attempts are made to scam young people online every day. Helen Westerman, campaigns manager at the NSPCC, said: 'These findings paint a deeply concerning picture of how online scams are affecting young people's wellbeing, with nearly a million children targeted in the past year alone. 'What's particularly worrying is that 60% of young people don't know where to turn for help, often leaving them to deal with both financial losses and emotional trauma in silence. 'The impact of these scams goes far beyond the immediate financial loss. We're seeing children experience anxiety, depression, and withdrawal from activities they once enjoyed. 'This is why it's crucial that parents and carers create an open dialogue about online safety with their children, ensuring young people feel they can come forward without fear of judgment if they've been targeted by scammers.' Nicki Lyons, chief corporate affairs and sustainability officer at Vodafone UK, said: 'The online world is part of everyday life, but young people can only make the most of this if they feel safe to do so. 'As our latest study shows, scams targeting young people on the platforms they use regularly are on the rise and becoming ever-more sophisticated, so it's important that calls to make the internet safer are heard.' Vodafone said it was currently blocking 1.7 million calls a day from known scammers. It is opening a 'Phish 'N' Tips' shop in central London on February 20 to offer families free, expert advice to help spot online scams and deal with them. Anyone who has been scammed online should report it to Action Fraud or call 0300 123 2040 (in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or report it to Police Scotland by calling 101 (in Scotland).
BBC News
30-01-2025
- BBC News
Safer Internet Day 2025: How to protect yourself from scams
Safer Internet Day is marked every year in the UK, and it's all about staying safe day is themed around a different topic each year, and for 2025 the theme is Too good to be true? Protecting yourself and others from scams taking place on Tuesday 11th February 2025 and is run by the UK Safer Internet Centre, who work with young people to provide tips about how to stay safe online. But what are scams, and how can you protect yourself from them? What are scams? Scams are tricks to get people to pay money or reveal personal information like passwords or bank these scams happen online, and may include things like setting up fake giveaways or selling misleading products. Scams can also include something called phishing. This is where someone is tricked into clicking on an unsafe link in a fake message, email or social media post that pretends to be something it's not in order to gain a person's could look like a message from a company or public service you use or know scams are targeted at adults, but some are aimed at children too. For example, some young people have been tricked into unfair trades like giving items away on gaming platforms, and social media scams have also deceived younger users. How can you spot a scam? The UK Safer Internet Centre has lots of advice for children on Safer Internet Day in order to stay scam-safe in sure that you look out for signs that something can't be trusted:If something sounds too good to be true (like an in-game trade or social media giveaway) then it might be. Don't share personal information online and remember that not everyone can be trusted in games or out for phishing and don't click on a links from unexpected messages, even if it looks like someone you know or a company you've heard speak to a trusted adult if you're worried about something you see online, or if you think you might have been scammed. What's happening for Safer Internet Day 2025? BBC Teach will be showing a special Safer Internet Day Live Lesson from 11am on Tuesday 11th February, online and on the CBBC channel. They'll be playing a Scam Smashers game, which your class can take part in, to try and use detective skills to beat the scammers. The UK Safer Internet Centre also want to use the day to think about questions for the future of online safety, like what effect artificial intelligence (AI) might have on scams, and what the government can do to tackle this.
