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Ages 8+ · Digital Life · Scams and fakes
Fake giveaways
🎟️no contest⏰timer🔑password💰pay first📣send it on
A prize that hurries you is a trick.
The big ideaA prize that hurries you or asks for things is a trick. Tell a grown-up.

How it works

A fake giveaway is made to trick you. To win a contest you have to enter first.

Clue one: you never entered a contest. Clue two: a timer says hurry. Clue three: it asks for your password.

Clue four: it asks you to pay first. Clue five: it asks you to send it on to friends.

Do not tap the prize, and do not type anything in. Close the banner and tell a grown-up.

Do not tap theprizeDo not typeanythingClose thebannerTell a grown-up
What to do.
Clues of a trick• A contest you never entered• A timer that says hurry• Asks for your password• Asks you to pay first• Asks you to send it to ten friendsFine• A gift from your teacher• A birthday present from Dad• A sticker from a friend you know
Trick, or fine?

Example 1: Kai's banner

  1. Kai never entered a contest, a timer said hurry, and it asked for his password.
  2. A password opens your account, so it is for your family only.
  3. He typed nothing, closed the banner and told Dad.

Example 2: Mina's banner

  1. Her banner said to pay a small fee first and send it to ten friends.
  2. Your money goes to the trickster, and a trick spreads when friends pass it on.
  3. She showed her mom.

Example 3: A new banner

  1. A banner says, 'You won free coins! Claim them in one minute!'
  2. A timer and a prize you never entered for are both clues.
  3. It is a trick.

Example 4: A birthday present

  1. Kai's birthday frog from Dad was not a trick.
  2. Kai knows his dad, who gave it in person.

Words to know

giveaway
A prize someone says they are giving away.
contest
Something you have to enter first to win.
trickster
Someone who makes a fake banner to fool you.
fee
Money you are asked to pay first.

Watch out

Try it

  1. A banner says you won a contest you never entered. Trick, or fine?
  2. A timer says claim it in one minute. What clue is that?
  3. A prize asks for your password. What do you do?
  4. A teacher hands you a gift in person. Trick, or fine?
Answers: 1. A trick · 2. Hurry · 3. Close it and tell a grown-up · 4. Fine
Try at homeTell a grown-up the clues of a fake prize. Ask if your family has ever seen one.
For grown-upsMake a poster of the five clues together, and ask your child whether your family has ever seen a fake prize.
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