Children targeted by online scammers

During puberty, young people's growing independence goes hand in hand with a willingness to take risks: experimenting out of curiosity is simply part of their mindset. Social media and the internet are popular playgrounds for adventure, which is perfectly fine in most cases.

However, there are serious dangers lurking for young people. Because the internet is a reflection of reality, we find people with malicious intentions there too. Children are particularly at risk because they are often unaware of the need for caution. Cybercriminals prey on this.

A 7-year-old isn't interested in online dating scams, but a 13-year-old is.

It is impossible to protect children from every danger, and from an educational point of view, it is not always advisable either. But young people need to learn what to expect and when the alarm bells should start ringing.

Three types of scams are particularly insidious and widespread. Talk to your son or daughter about this issue in a way that is appropriate for their age. In other words, a 7-year-old isn't interested in online romance scams, but a 13-year-old certainly is.

Sextortion: Dangerous Affairs

The term «sextortion» is a combination of the English words «sexual» and «extortion». During puberty, it can happen that you find an online contact likeable and nice. «Will you send me a picture of yourself, preferably without clothes?» comes the message in the chat, and because love is blind, you give in to the request. No sooner has the picture been sent than the tone changes. Suddenly, the threat of publication looms large.

This scam is widespread and specifically targets young people aged between 12 and 17. Police crime statistics suggest that around 85 per cent of victims of cyber sex offences are under the age of 20. The James Study 2024 also found that 25 per cent of all young people have been asked at least once to send erotic images of themselves.

Male victims are usually blackmailed for money; in the case of young women, the demand is more often for increasingly explicit images. The perpetrators and victims often know each other. In both cases, the threat is that the photos will be published.

Phishing: The hunt for confidential data

Many young people already have their own bank account, where they put their pocket money, wages from a holiday job or the savings their grandparents have given them. This is exactly what some fraudsters are after.

The scam is simple but very effective: an email looks exactly as if it has come from the bank. Everything is perfectly replicated and appears trustworthy. Under some pretext, you are asked for your password. And because you want to enter the competition or resolve the security issue, you disclose your details. In doing so, you grant cybercriminals full access to your bank account.

Shock calls from cybercriminals: using children as bait

It is not just young people who are targeted by fraudsters, but parents too. Through so-called «prank calls», we parents are led to believe that our daughter or son has been involved in an accident. They claim a specialist lawyer is needed to sort the matter out quickly and without going to court. To do this, we must immediately transfer or hand over 10,000 francs. And because our children mean the world to us as parents, we do as we're told. Only to discover later that the whole story is a complete fabrication and that our child has simply spent the night away from home, as agreed.