Online scams aren’t just targeting adults. Increasingly, they’re targeting kids, too. Kids spend hours online, often with access to in-game currency or their parents’ credit cards. From fake rewards to stolen accounts, online threats are evolving fast. Parents need to know what to be mindful of and how to help their kids stay safe.
Even the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau—a federal agency more known for policing credit cards and banks—recently issued a public warning about online scams in video games. Their message? Kids and parents are getting hit with fraud on gaming platforms more often than you’d think.
These scams have happened in real time with my own kids, and it’s surprisingly easy to fall for them. So let’s break down how they work and what you can do to help your kids stay ahead of them.
Types of online scams targeting kids
These are some examples of scams your child may encounter:
- The online friend. A kid meets someone in-game who seems like a friend. That “friend” shares a too-good-to-be-true offer—like free Robux or an exclusive item. The child trusts them and ends up sharing personal info or login credentials.
- Direct messages and fake links. These messages promise rewards in exchange for small actions—such as selecting a link, completing a survey or entering a password. But the links often steal personal information or install malware.
- Fake giveaways on social media. Platforms like TikTok, YouTube and Snapchat are full of “giveaways.” Influencers—or bots pretending to be them—offer rare items or “exclusive” perks in exchange for account info. Kids sign up, and suddenly their account is gone.
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