Trick messages: don't take the bait!
๐ In short
Just as a fisherman uses tasty bait to catch a fish, some tricksters send tempting messages to catch passwords and personal information. This trick is called โphishingโ. The good news is that it has clear signs you can learn to spot.
๐คฉ Did you know?
- The word โphishingโ sounds like โfishingโ, but it's spelled with two different letters at the start.
- Even a message from your friend can be a trick if their account has been stolen.
- Tricksters sometimes copy the exact look of famous websites, so we read the address carefully.
- If you click a trick link by mistake, tell your parents straight away so they can change the password.
๐ Find out more
๐ Sign 1: hurry and fear
โYour account will be deleted in an hour!โ, โClick now!โ: the trickster wants you to be scared and rush so you don't think. Real messages rarely threaten you like that.
๐ Sign 2: prizes you didn't ask for
โYou won a phone!โ when you didn't enter any competition? That's bait. There are no free prizes that suddenly arrive and ask for your home address.
๐ก Sign 3: asking for secrets
No real website, bank or game asks for your password in a message. Anyone who asks is a trickster, whatever their name or logo.
๐ฏ Sign 4: a strange address
Look at the sender's address and the links: names with small mistakes or odd numbers, like g4me instead of game. If you're unsure, don't click, and ask a grown-up.
๐งญ What if I clicked?
Don't be scared and don't hide it. Close the page straight away, don't type anything, and tell your parents so they can change the password and check the device. The sooner you tell, the easier it is to fix.
๐ Check before you click
On a computer, put the pointer over the link without clicking, and its real address appears at the bottom of the screen. If it's different from what the message says, it's a trick.
๐ See how it works
๐ Key words
- Phishing
- A trick to steal passwords and information
- Trick link
- A link that takes you to a fake website
- Sender
- The person or address the message came from
๐งช Try it at home
With your parents, make a โdetective cardโ with four questions to ask before clicking any link: Do I know the sender? Are they rushing me? Are they asking for a secret? Is the address strange? Then stick it up next to the computer.
๐งฉ Test yourself
1 A message says: โSend your password or your account will be deleted.โ What is it?
2 What do you do if you're unsure about a message?