Learning objective
Scams & Tricks
Online Scams, Phishing & Deceptive Tricks
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Recognizing online tricks, phishing emails, fake prize pop-ups, clickbait, spoofed websites, and social engineering scams to protect personal data and digital identity.
Free Gift Traps
Recognize that pop-ups offering 'Free Prizes' or 'Free Toys' online are deceptive tricks designed to collect clicks or personal data.
Let's Go!
Learn
If something online sounds too good to be true, it's almost always a trick! Scammers use bright colors, flashing buttons, and fake prizes (like free game coins, toys, or tablets) to trick people into clicking links or giving away personal information. Remember: real companies don't give away expensive prizes to random website visitors!
Try it yourself
Spot the Free Gift Trap
🚀 Open a practice space
🌟 Student Project GuideSuccess Criteria & WAGOLL (What A Good One Looks Like)
🎯 Task Success Criteria (Rubric)
Foundation
Identifies pop-up screens promising free rewards or gifts.
Developing
Explains why unknown websites offer fake prizes to trick users into clicking.
Secure (Goal)
Demonstrates refusing to click fake prize pop-ups and reporting them to a trusted adult.
Mastery
Teaches peers how to spot 'Too Good to Be True' offers online.
👀 What A Good One Looks Like (WAGOLL)
Exemplar Standard
A top-tier student project for Free Gift Traps includes:
- Core Deliverable: Spot the Free Gift Trap
- Target Quality: Demonstrates refusing to click fake prize pop-ups and reporting them to a trusted adult.
- Excellence & Polish: Teaches peers how to spot 'Too Good to Be True' offers online.
📁
Save to Your Website Portfolio:
When you finish creating your project in your software, copy the share link or take a screenshot and publish it onto your student portfolio website!
⭐Self-Assessment: How confident do you feel with this skill?
Reflect
Learning check
Teacher setup, curriculum links and progress descriptors
Spark support
Routine: See-Think-Wonder
Achievement pathway
- Foundation: Identifies pop-up screens promising free rewards or gifts.
- Developing: Explains why unknown websites offer fake prizes to trick users into clicking.
- Secure: Demonstrates refusing to click fake prize pop-ups and reporting them to a trusted adult.
- Mastering: Teaches peers how to spot 'Too Good to Be True' offers online.
Curriculum links
Curriculum strand: Online Safety and Digital Citizenship
Outcome: OS.01.B.1.1 — Recognize that pop-ups offering 'Free Prizes' or 'Free Toys' online are deceptive tricks designed to collect clicks or personal data.
PYP: Form · Critical thinking helps us recognize deceptive tricks and exaggerated claims in digital environments.
Learner profile: Inquirer
Competency tags
Gate support
Accessibility alternative:
Teacher override: allow
Locked level
Level 2: Deceptive Links
Complete the previous learning check to unlock this next level.
Deceptive Links
Differentiate between genuine informative headlines and sensational clickbait designed to force curiosity clicks.
Learning objective
Students will analyze headline techniques, identifying sensational 'clickbait' titles designed to lure users into clicking unsafe links.
Let's Go!
Learn
Clickbait is text or image content designed to create a 'curiosity gap'—making you so curious that you can't resist clicking! Clickbait often uses ALL CAPS, dramatic promises ('This will change your life!'), or hidden mystery ('You'll never guess what happened next!'). Scammers use clickbait to lead people to dangerous websites.
Try it yourself
Clickbait Detective
🚀 Open a practice space
🌟 Student Project GuideSuccess Criteria & WAGOLL (What A Good One Looks Like)
🎯 Task Success Criteria (Rubric)
Foundation
Identifies headlines that use extreme words like 'You Won't Believe What Happened!'.
Developing
Explains that clickbait headlines exaggerate facts to generate ad clicks or page views.
Secure (Goal)
Rewrites sensational clickbait headlines into accurate, factual descriptions.
Mastery
Evaluates web articles to determine whether content matches headline claims.
👀 What A Good One Looks Like (WAGOLL)
Exemplar Standard
A top-tier student project for Deceptive Links includes:
- Core Deliverable: Clickbait Detective
- Target Quality: Rewrites sensational clickbait headlines into accurate, factual descriptions.
- Excellence & Polish: Evaluates web articles to determine whether content matches headline claims.
📁
Save to Your Website Portfolio:
When you finish creating your project in your software, copy the share link or take a screenshot and publish it onto your student portfolio website!
⭐Self-Assessment: How confident do you feel with this skill?
Reflect
Learning check
Teacher setup, curriculum links and progress descriptors
Spark support
Routine: Think-Pair-Share
Achievement pathway
- Foundation: Identifies headlines that use extreme words like 'You Won't Believe What Happened!'.
- Developing: Explains that clickbait headlines exaggerate facts to generate ad clicks or page views.
- Secure: Rewrites sensational clickbait headlines into accurate, factual descriptions.
- Mastering: Evaluates web articles to determine whether content matches headline claims.
Curriculum links
Curriculum strand: Online Safety and Digital Citizenship
Outcome: OS.01.B.1.2 — Differentiate between genuine informative headlines and sensational clickbait designed to force curiosity clicks.
PYP: Function · Authors and creators use persuasive and sensational techniques to attract attention in digital media.
Learner profile: Communicator
Competency tags
Gate support
Accessibility alternative:
Teacher override: allow
Locked level
Level 3: Spotting Phishing
Complete the previous learning check to unlock this next level.
Spotting Phishing
Recognize common signs of phishing communications (urgent demands, generic greetings, suspicious sender addresses, fake links).
Learning objective
Students will inspect message metadata and body text to identify phishing attempts attempting to steal user credentials.
Let's Go!
Learn
'Phishing' (pronounced fishing) is when scammers send fake emails or chat messages pretending to be someone you trust—like your school, your bank, or a gaming company! They throw out a 'hook' (a fake urgent message like 'Your account will be deleted in 10 minutes!') hoping you will bite by clicking a link and typing your password.
Try it yourself
Phishing Inspection
🚀 Open a practice space
🌟 Student Project GuideSuccess Criteria & WAGOLL (What A Good One Looks Like)
🎯 Task Success Criteria (Rubric)
Foundation
Identifies that suspicious emails can come from strangers pretending to be banks or school tech support.
Developing
Lists 3 clues of phishing emails: strange sender email address, urgent panic warnings, and spelling mistakes.
Secure (Goal)
Audits inbox messages, correctly flagging phishing attempts without clicking embedded hyperlinks.
Mastery
Creates a phishing safety checklist for classmates to verify message authenticity.
👀 What A Good One Looks Like (WAGOLL)
Exemplar Standard
A top-tier student project for Spotting Phishing includes:
- Core Deliverable: Phishing Inspection
- Target Quality: Audits inbox messages, correctly flagging phishing attempts without clicking embedded hyperlinks.
- Excellence & Polish: Creates a phishing safety checklist for classmates to verify message authenticity.
📁
Save to Your Website Portfolio:
When you finish creating your project in your software, copy the share link or take a screenshot and publish it onto your student portfolio website!
⭐Self-Assessment: How confident do you feel with this skill?
Reflect
Learning check
Teacher setup, curriculum links and progress descriptors
Spark support
Routine: Connect-Extend-Challenge
Achievement pathway
- Foundation: Identifies that suspicious emails can come from strangers pretending to be banks or school tech support.
- Developing: Lists 3 clues of phishing emails: strange sender email address, urgent panic warnings, and spelling mistakes.
- Secure: Audits inbox messages, correctly flagging phishing attempts without clicking embedded hyperlinks.
- Mastering: Creates a phishing safety checklist for classmates to verify message authenticity.
Curriculum links
Curriculum strand: Online Safety and Digital Citizenship
Outcome: OS.02.B.1.1 — Recognize common signs of phishing communications (urgent demands, generic greetings, suspicious sender addresses, fake links).
PYP: Connection · Digital communication systems can be exploited by fake messages pretending to be trusted organizations.
Learner profile: Thinker
Competency tags
Gate support
Accessibility alternative:
Teacher override: allow
Locked level
Level 4: Fake Web Pages
Complete the previous learning check to unlock this next level.
Fake Web Pages
Analyze website URLs, SSL padlock security indicators, and domain names to detect spoofed fake websites.
Learning objective
Students will verify web domain names and HTTPS protocol indicators to distinguish real login portals from spoofed knock-offs.
Let's Go!
Learn
Scammers can copy logos, colors, and layout designs to create 'spoofed' fake websites that look identical to real games or portals! The one thing scammers CANNOT fake is the exact official domain name in the address bar. Always check the URL: look for https:// (the 's' stands for secure), the padlock icon, and the exact spelling of the domain name.
Try it yourself
Verify Web Addresses
🚀 Open a practice space
🌟 Student Project GuideSuccess Criteria & WAGOLL (What A Good One Looks Like)
🎯 Task Success Criteria (Rubric)
Foundation
Locates the web address bar (URL bar) at the top of a web browser.
Developing
Explains that scammers copy the look of real websites to make fake 'spoofed' pages that steal passwords.
Secure (Goal)
Compares domain names (e.g., roblox.com vs roblox-free-coins.net) to verify authentic sites before logging in.
Mastery
Demonstrates checking digital security certificates (HTTPS padlock) and domain extensions.
👀 What A Good One Looks Like (WAGOLL)
Exemplar Standard
A top-tier student project for Fake Web Pages includes:
- Core Deliverable: Verify Web Addresses
- Target Quality: Compares domain names (e.g., roblox.com vs roblox-free-coins.net) to verify authentic sites before logging in.
- Excellence & Polish: Demonstrates checking digital security certificates (HTTPS padlock) and domain extensions.
📁
Save to Your Website Portfolio:
When you finish creating your project in your software, copy the share link or take a screenshot and publish it onto your student portfolio website!
⭐Self-Assessment: How confident do you feel with this skill?
Reflect
Learning check
Teacher setup, curriculum links and progress descriptors
Spark support
Routine: What If...?
Achievement pathway
- Foundation: Locates the web address bar (URL bar) at the top of a web browser.
- Developing: Explains that scammers copy the look of real websites to make fake 'spoofed' pages that steal passwords.
- Secure: Compares domain names (e.g., roblox.com vs roblox-free-coins.net) to verify authentic sites before logging in.
- Mastering: Demonstrates checking digital security certificates (HTTPS padlock) and domain extensions.
Curriculum links
Curriculum strand: Online Safety and Digital Citizenship
Outcome: OS.02.B.1.2 — Analyze website URLs, SSL padlock security indicators, and domain names to detect spoofed fake websites.
PYP: Responsibility · Web addresses provide structural verification needed to confirm website authenticity and security.
Learner profile: Principled
Competency tags
Gate support
Accessibility alternative:
Teacher override: allow
Locked level
Level 5: Social Tricks
Complete the previous learning check to unlock this next level.
Social Tricks
Analyze psychological manipulation tactics (impersonation, artificial scarcity, trust exploiting) used in social engineering scams.
Learning objective
Students will deconstruct social engineering strategies used by scammers to manipulate human emotions and exploit trust.
Let's Go!
Learn
Social engineering doesn't hack computer code—it hacks human emotions! Scammers manipulate trust, fear, curiosity, or greed. Common tricks include: 1) Impersonation (pretending to be a teacher, admin, or friend in distress), 2) Fear tactics (claiming your account is banned unless you verify info), and 3) Flattery (promising exclusive VIP status). Real admins will NEVER ask for your password!
Try it yourself
Deconstruct Social Engineering Scenarios
🚀 Open a practice space
🌟 Student Project GuideSuccess Criteria & WAGOLL (What A Good One Looks Like)
🎯 Task Success Criteria (Rubric)
Foundation
Identifies that scammers try to build fake friendships online to gain access to secrets.
Developing
Explains tactics like artificial urgency ('Act in 5 minutes!'), fear ('You will be arrested!'), and authority impersonation.
Secure (Goal)
Role-plays responding to social engineering attempts (e.g., someone pretending to be game admin asking for login details).
Mastery
Audits personal communication habits and designs a defensive guide against psychological manipulation.
👀 What A Good One Looks Like (WAGOLL)
Exemplar Standard
A top-tier student project for Social Tricks includes:
- Core Deliverable: Deconstruct Social Engineering Scenarios
- Target Quality: Role-plays responding to social engineering attempts (e.g., someone pretending to be game admin asking for login details).
- Excellence & Polish: Audits personal communication habits and designs a defensive guide against psychological manipulation.
📁
Save to Your Website Portfolio:
When you finish creating your project in your software, copy the share link or take a screenshot and publish it onto your student portfolio website!
⭐Self-Assessment: How confident do you feel with this skill?
Reflect
Learning check
Teacher setup, curriculum links and progress descriptors
Spark support
Routine: Parts-Purposes-Complexities
Achievement pathway
- Foundation: Identifies that scammers try to build fake friendships online to gain access to secrets.
- Developing: Explains tactics like artificial urgency ('Act in 5 minutes!'), fear ('You will be arrested!'), and authority impersonation.
- Secure: Role-plays responding to social engineering attempts (e.g., someone pretending to be game admin asking for login details).
- Mastering: Audits personal communication habits and designs a defensive guide against psychological manipulation.
Curriculum links
Curriculum strand: Online Safety and Digital Citizenship
Outcome: OS.03.B.1.1 — Analyze psychological manipulation tactics (impersonation, artificial scarcity, trust exploiting) used in social engineering scams.
PYP: Perspective · Understanding psychological manipulation techniques helps individuals protect their personal information from social engineering.
Learner profile: Knowledgeable
Competency tags
Gate support
Accessibility alternative:
Teacher override: allow
Locked level
Level 6: Scam Defense
Complete the previous learning check to unlock this next level.
Scam Defense
Conduct comprehensive digital scam audits, implement reporting protocols, and educate communities to build scam resilience.
Learning objective
Students will design scam reporting protocols, conduct peer security audits, and evaluate emerging AI-driven digital scams.
Let's Go!
Learn
Scams evolve as technology changes! Today, scammers use AI text generators to write convincing emails, AI voice cloning to impersonate relatives, and sophisticated fake shopping sites. Becoming a resilient digital citizen means: verifying through secondary channels (call the real person directly), keeping evidence, reporting scams to official consumer protection agencies, and supporting victims without judgment.
Try it yourself
Scam Defense Audit & Plan
🚀 Open a practice space
🌟 Student Project GuideSuccess Criteria & WAGOLL (What A Good One Looks Like)
🎯 Task Success Criteria (Rubric)
Foundation
Knows how to report scams using platform flag buttons and inform adults.
Developing
Explains how emerging AI technologies (voice deepfakes, AI text generators) are used to create realistic scams.
Secure (Goal)
Develops a comprehensive school Scam Awareness & Incident Response Guide for digital platforms.
Mastery
Leads a workshop teaching younger students how to verify online information and report deceptive practices.
👀 What A Good One Looks Like (WAGOLL)
Exemplar Standard
A top-tier student project for Scam Defense includes:
- Core Deliverable: Scam Defense Audit & Plan
- Target Quality: Develops a comprehensive school Scam Awareness & Incident Response Guide for digital platforms.
- Excellence & Polish: Leads a workshop teaching younger students how to verify online information and report deceptive practices.
📁
Save to Your Website Portfolio:
When you finish creating your project in your software, copy the share link or take a screenshot and publish it onto your student portfolio website!
⭐Self-Assessment: How confident do you feel with this skill?
Reflect
Learning check
Teacher setup, curriculum links and progress descriptors
Spark support
Routine: 3-2-1 Bridge
Achievement pathway
- Foundation: Knows how to report scams using platform flag buttons and inform adults.
- Developing: Explains how emerging AI technologies (voice deepfakes, AI text generators) are used to create realistic scams.
- Secure: Develops a comprehensive school Scam Awareness & Incident Response Guide for digital platforms.
- Mastering: Leads a workshop teaching younger students how to verify online information and report deceptive practices.
Curriculum links
Curriculum strand: Online Safety and Digital Citizenship
Outcome: OS.03.B.1.2 — Conduct comprehensive digital scam audits, implement reporting protocols, and educate communities to build scam resilience.
PYP: Reflection · Proactive community education and institutional reporting mechanisms mitigate the systemic impact of digital fraud.
Learner profile: Reflective
Competency tags
Gate support
Accessibility alternative:
Teacher override: allow