Fear, excitement and gifts: how fraudsters can manipulate children

Ulyanovsk parents should carefully discuss with their children the rules of safety on the Internet. The most vulnerable to the tricks of fraudsters are teenagers from about 11-12 to 16-17 years old: they tend to make decisions on their own, but are not always able to correctly assess the possible consequences.

According to the candidate of psychological sciences, clinical psychologist Svetlana Kolobova, attackers use primarily the emotionality of adolescents. Fear, curiosity, excitement, falling in love or an artificially created sense of urgency can be used.

For example, a child may be persuaded to immediately send personal information, credit card information, or transfer money. Pressure is built in such a way that the teenager acted quickly and did not have time to consult with adults.

Children under 11 are also at risk, but the approach is usually different. They may be interested in promises of a gift, prize, or access to the game. The child is not always able to identify who is actually on the other side of the screen, so he or she can fulfill a request from a stranger.

The expert advises to take into account this age vulnerability and explain to children in advance that the requests of strangers for money, bank details and personal information should be an occasion to contact adults.