Cyber Awareness - Stage 6 Scams PDF

STAGE 6 Unit focus: Cyber Awareness Text focus: Information Text Scams A scam is a system that unscrupulous people use to try to steal money or information from other...

STAGE 6 Unit focus: Cyber Awareness Text focus: Information Text Scams A scam is a system that unscrupulous people use to try to steal money or information from other people. There have always been scams. The earliest known scam was carried out in 300 BCE when a Greek sea merchant took out an insurance policy against his ship and cargo. He planned to sink his ship but still sell the cargo and keeps the insurance money, but luckily he got caught! So, scams aren’t a new thing. However, the way that scams work is always changing, and online scams are now more common than ever. Scams are a type of fraud. In the UK, there are three types of fraud: false representation, failing to disclose information and abuse of position. Fraud by failing to disclose information isn’t likely to be used to scam you. A common example is trying to claim a stolen item on an insurance policy when the item was never stolen or wasn’t bought in the first place. Fraud by abuse of position is o en used to try to scam older people. A person might take advantage of their position to steal from them; a tradesperson or carer might earn their trust and then take their money, for instance. False representation is a scheme where somebody pretends to be something that they aren’t. They might send an email saying that they are from a company when they aren’t. This can be very effective because lots of people trust emails without checking where they came from. They might receive an email that seems to come from their bank, telling them that their account will be closed and they’ll lose all of their money if they don’t confirm their details. This level of urgency can make people panic. People who are stressed o en make poor decisions. If they click a link to confirm the details, they don’t realise that they are actually giving them to a fraudster who will then access their bank account and steal everything. Whilst it is possible to check where an email has come from, it can be quite tricky and is ge ng A trickier. If you ever receive a le er or email from a company that seems ding ro Rea und all resources ©2023 Literacy Shed e um C u r r ic ul Th http://www.literacyshedplus.com scary, it is always best to phone them to check. Don’t call the number in the email, as that might be fake; search online to find the correct phone number. They will be able to tell you what is going on. Remember, no bank or reputable company will ever email you asking you to confirm your password. Your passwords are some of the most important pieces of digital information you have. If somebody has access to your emails, then they can access almost every system that you use, from banks to online payment systems like PayPal. That’s why you must never tell anybody other than your parents your passwords, and make sure that you use different passwords for every login. There are lots of different types of online scams. Phishing scams try to get your information, such as passwords and banking details. Charity frauds are becoming more common. A scammer pretends to be from a charity asking for money to help victims of a war or natural disaster. When they are sent money, it goes straight to their account, not to the charity. Whenever you are being asked for information online, stop and consider whether it is real or a scam. RETRIEVAL FOCUS 1. Who was the first known person to try to commit a scam? 2. Which type of scam are you unlikely to fall victim to? 3. How many types of fraud are recognised in the UK? 4. What do most fraudsters want? 5. What should you do if you think something might be a scam? VIPERS QUESTIONS V Which word in the first paragraph describes somebody as not having very strong morals? I Why might people be more likely to fall for a scam that seems urgent? P Why do you think “phishing” scams are called that? S Summarise why passwords are important. all resources ©2023 Literacy Shed http://www.literacyshedplus.com