Real-world readiness

Online Safety & Scam Smarts

Scammers count on panic and shame. Learners practice slowing down, spotting the red flags and knowing exactly what to do and who to tell, so a bad moment online never turns into a crisis.

4 sessions · adapts to all four learner tiers (K–college)

Start session 1 Print a Rep Card

Core tool

The 3 Rs

Recognize the red flags (rush, secrecy, requests for money or photos, too good to be true) · Refuse to send, pay or click · Report it to a trusted adult and the platform, and save the evidence.

Before you start: quick self-check

Rate each line from 1 (not yet) to 5 (definitely) before session 1, then again after your Real-World Rep.

I can spot the red flags of a scam
I know exactly what to do and who to tell if someone threatens me online

The sessions

4 sessions, three beats each.

Every session runs Hook → Rep → Reflect, so learners know what to expect each time.

  1. Session 1

    Too Good to Be True

    Hook5–10 min

    Three messages: a prize, a job offer, a cheap deal. Which ones are real?

    Rep10–30 min

    Sort ten realistic messages into safe, suspicious or scam, and name the red flag in each

    Reflect5–10 min

    Write one line on your Rep Card: what I tried, what happened, what I'll try next.

  2. Session 2

    Who's Really There?

    Hook5–10 min

    A friendly new follower who already knows a lot about you

    Rep10–30 min

    Check a profile together: account age, mutual friends, reused photos (older tiers try a reverse image search)

    Reflect5–10 min

    Write one line on your Rep Card: what I tried, what happened, what I'll try next.

  3. Session 3

    Never Pay, Never Panic

    Hook5–10 min

    How threat scams use panic and shame to rush you (age-appropriate)

    Rep10–30 min

    Role-play the first ten minutes: stop replying, don't pay, screenshot, block, tell an adult, and report

    Reflect5–10 min

    Write one line on your Rep Card: what I tried, what happened, what I'll try next.

  4. Session 4

    Your Safety Team

    Hook5–10 min

    Who would you tell? Many young people say no one

    Rep10–30 min

    Build a no-shame family safety plan: a settings checkup, a code word, and three adults you can go to

    Reflect5–10 min

    Write one line on your Rep Card: what I tried, what happened, what I'll try next.

Real-World Rep

Do a privacy and settings checkup on two apps you use, and share your safety plan with one trusted adult.

By age

How it adapts for each learner tier.

K–5

Sprouts

20 min sessions

"Tricky people online" picture cards. Never share your name, school or photos, and always tell a grown-up. You will never be in trouble for telling.

6–8

Builders

30 min sessions

Game chats, free-currency and giveaway scams, and friend requests from strangers. Do a privacy-settings check together.

9–12

Launchers

40 min sessions

Sextortion warning signs, fake jobs and money-flip scams, and text and QR-code scams. Walk through Take It Down and how to report.

College & first-year adults

Leaders

50 min or self-paced sessions

Rental and housing scams, fake job offers with upfront fees, payment-app scams, and protecting your credit and identity.

For teachers & facilitators

Talk about sextortion calmly and without blame: the person targeted is never at fault. Share counselor contacts in Session 1 and know your school's reporting process; if a student discloses, follow your mandated-reporter procedures. Free help for young people: NCMEC's Take It Down (takeitdown.ncmec.org) helps remove explicit images, and the CyberTipline (report.cybertip.org) takes reports.