Scammers are targeting teens – Warn your Gen Zer about these tricks

November 16, 2023

By Kim Komando

OK, I need to talk to my Gen Z son, Ian, about this. And you should speak to anyone in your circle born between 1996 and 2010. 

The fine folks at the FBI’s crime division say teens have lost 2,500% more money to scams in the past five years. Compare that to an 805% increase for seniors. Still not great, but at least it’s not 2,500%.

In 2022, teens lost $210 million to scammers. Why? Thieves have more ways than ever to target them.

Under the influence 

Say your kid idolizes an influencer. That person is, sadly, an easy target for impersonation. All someone needs to do is set up a phony account that looks real, run a contest and then trick the “winners” into handing over banking details or even more to claim their (non-existent) prize.

Pro tip: Does it add up? Stick to “official” influencer accounts with a substantial follower base. A smaller sub-account is almost always a scammer, not the real deal. And never give financial info or money to someone via DM.

Hey there, handsome

This one is a classic for a reason. Scammers grab pictures of an attractive teen or 20-something, then play digital Casanova. All too soon, they profess their love — then comes the request for money, gifts or info.

Pro tip: Try a reverse image search to see if those pics pop up somewhere else online. If the person refuses to video call or meet in person, bad sign.

Send me a photo

This is the dangerous intersection of smartphones, sexting and scammers. Someone shares sexy pictures and asks for some in return. As soon as the victim sends a pic or video, everything changes.

The person on the other end is now blackmailing them — or they’ll share the content with everyone they know. Think about how horrifying that would be at any age, but especially as a teenager. I spoke to a family that lost their son to suicide after this happened to him. Such a heartbreaking story.

Pro tip: Talk to your kids about sending pictures. Never share anything explicit, even with someone they know in person and trust. It’s just not worth it.

You won! (Not)

This one targets younger teens more often. A clever thief tricks them into revealing credit card details or downloading malware under the guise of unreal rewards while making in-app purchases.

Pro tip: This one is easy. Only ever buy through the official app store. No trades and nothing “private.”