7 Common Scams Targeting Teenagers

Most teens like to spend money. They spend most of their money on beauty products, video games, and streaming services. But not all of their money disappears by choice. Scammers target teens, using sneaky tricks to steal their cash and personal information. It’s an alarming issue, and understanding these scams is the first step to outsmart scammers.

According to a study from SocialCatfish, the number of teens falling victim to online scams has jumped by 156%. In this blog, we’ll talk about the different scams targeting teens. These scams use different tactics like psychological manipulation and impersonation. Knowing how these scams work will help you recognize them before you become a victim.

Teens are vulnerable to scams for 2 major reasons. First, is that, unlike seniors, teens are more confident and active online, making them accessible to scammers. What’s worse, teens often overshare on social media, posting about their accomplishments, emotions, personal problems, and even financial struggles. Scammers exploit this information to craft personalized traps. For example, a teen posting about being lonely might be targeted with romance scams.

The second reason is their stage of life. The teenage years are a time of self-discovery and exploration. Teens are seeking new experiences, building relationships, and figuring out where they fit in. Scammers take advantage of this by simply posing as friends or people with shared interests so that they can gain the teen’s trust.

In short, teens are vulnerable because they are active online and they’re in the developmental stage.

Here are the 7 common scams that teens experience.

Teens love contests—they’re a chance to showcase talents, build confidence, and connect with peers. Sadly, scammers are weaponizing contests to scam teenagers.

How It Works:

1. Scammers create and post attractive advertisements for talent contests. They’ll promise high cash prizes, fame, and career opportunities.
2. Scammers then ask teens to pay a registration fee. They may also ask for additional payments for things like promotional costs.
3. They’ll also ask for personal information, claiming it’s part of the registration process.

Impact: In the end, teens lose money from paying for bogus contests. Plus, their personal data gets stolen which can be sold on the dark web or used for identity theft.

To avoid this scam, teens have to:

• Verify the legitimacy of a contest and the organization by checking for reviews or complaints online.
• Consult trusted adults to discuss the offer before committing to it.

Teens are also usually targeted with weight loss scams. This is largely because most teens are conscious about their bodies. This is fueled by the pressures of social media, influencers, and peer comparisons, making teens likely to fall for promises of quick weight loss.

How It Works:

1. Scammers, posing as influencers, post deceptive advertisements of weight loss medicines on social media. They claim you can lose weight without diet or exercise and use phrases like “Lose 30 pounds in 3 weeks.”
2. They also use fake testimonials as social proof, showing fake before and after photos.

Impact: Teens end up paying for weight loss medicines that will either not arrive or won’t really work and are harmful to their health. In another form of this scheme, scammers use subscription traps where teens unknowingly agree to recurring fees, leading to further financial loss.

To avoid this scam, teens have to:

• Seek professional guidance, like with dietitians or healthcare professionals before trying new weight loss products.
• Check if the weight loss medicine is approved by using the FDA website or the DailyMed database.

Another scam that teens experience is the scholarship scam. Education can be expensive and many teens rely on scholarships. Sadly, scammers exploit scholarships to steal money from teens, resulting in losses of $100 million every year.

How It Works:

1. Scammers post enticing scholarship offers online. They also send messages or emails to teens, claiming they've been selected for a guaranteed scholarship.
2. Next, scammers require teens to pay application fees, which can be at least $5 and at most $35.
3. Then, they will create a sense of urgency, saying that the payment is needed to process the scholarship and that there are limited slots available.

Impact: In the end, teens pay for scholarships that won’t be provided. They may also suffer from identity theft if they were tricked into providing their personal information under the guise of the registration process.

To avoid this scam, teens have to:

• Disengage when asked to pay upfront. This is because legitimate scholarships don't require payment.
• Verify scholarship offers by reaching out to a guidance counselor or a financial aid office.

Teens love gadgets like Macbook and PlayStation 5. Others want to get these gadgets because of peer pressure. Unfortunately, scammers know this all too well and use these trendy, high-demand devices as bait to scam teens.

How It Works:

1. Scammers create attractive ads, promoting gadgets for free or at a cheap price. In other cases, scammers claim that they're giving away the gadget of their son or husband who passed away.
2. They say it’s only available for a limited time, creating a sense of urgency, and prompting victims to act fast.
3. In other cases, scammers use phishing links, instructing teens to click them in order to pay. But that link will only direct you to a fake website or install malware designed to scan and steal information.

Impact: Victims of this scam can experience financial loss and data theft, which can result in more scams.

To avoid this scam, teens have to:

• Be skeptical of free gadget offers. If it seems too good to be true, then it likely is.
• Do research on the offer. Find out if there are victims who shared their experiences online.

Social media influencers have become modern-day authorities, with their massive followings serving as social proof of their credibility. That's why they hold a significant sway over people, especially teens.

Scammers leverage this trust to steal money or sell counterfeit, low-quality products.

How It Works:

• Scammers mimic real influencers by using their photos and purchasing fake followers to appear legitimate.
• They promote limited deals, prompting teens to buy products quickly.
• Victims are then directed to fake websites to make purchases, where their personal and financial information is stolen.

Impact: Teens lose money, paying for products that won’t come or are low-quality. Plus, they’re at risk of identity theft. Scammers can use the stolen data for their schemes, such as applying for loans in the victim's name.

To avoid this scam, teens have to.

• Verify influencer accounts by looking for blue verification badges and reviews.
• Avoid clicking links quickly. Instead, navigate to official websites.

One of the most dangerous scams that teens experience is the sextortion or webcam scam. Scammers prey on teens’ vulnerabilities, taking advantage of their desire to form relationships and explore sexual experiences online.

How It Works:

• Scammers pose as peers and build trust and connection through flattery and consistent engagement online.
• They convince teens to share explicit images.
• If a teen refuses, scammers will say they won’t talk to the teen anymore. In other cases, scammers share explicit content too, often stolen from other teens or AI-generated. This will prompt the teen to reciprocate and share their explicit image.
• Scammers then threaten to expose these to family, friends, or social media if the teen doesn’t pay or their other demands aren’t met.

Impact: The immediate impact of this is financial loss. But beyond that, victims can experience severe emotional distress, including anxiety and depression. Sadly, this can even lead to suicide in extreme cases.

To avoid this scam, teens have to.

• Be cautious when sharing personal information or media online.
• Avoid responding to extortion demands. Instead, report the scam to a trusted adult or law enforcement.

Finally, there’s the Fake Steam or Discord Report scam—a growing threat among teens who love gaming. With Steam and Discord being go-to platforms for young gamers, scammers have found ways to infiltrate these spaces and target teens.

How It Works:

• Scammers will message teens on Discord and claim they accidentally reported the victim’s account for suspicious activity. To back their claim, they will provide fake screenshots.
• They then direct the victim to a “Steam admin,” which is actually an accomplice.
• The fake Steam asks for credentials or payment to “resolve the issue.”

Impact: Ultimately, teens can experience financial loss and data theft. Additionally, they may experience reputational damage if they lose access to their accounts and scammers use them to scam other users.

To avoid this scam, teens have to.

• Confirm the alleged account issues directly with the platform through official support channels.
• Avoid sharing login details or payment information with anyone claiming to be an admin.

Teens are targeted in scams. The 7 common scams that target teens are: 1) Fake Talent Contests, 2) Weight Loss Scams, 3) Scholarship Scams, 4) Fake Gadget Freebies, 5) Influencer Online Shopping Scam, 6) Sextortion or Webcam Scam, and 7) Fake Steam or Discord Report.

Teens are vulnerable to these scams because they’re highly active online and are in their development stage.

What Age Group Gets Scammed the Most?

Older adults, aged 65 and older, get scammed the most. The FBI stated that this age group filed over 80,000 complaints and lost over $3 billion to scams in 2022.

Which Gender Gets Scammed the Most?

Generally, men are more likely to be victimized compared to women. However, different scams can target different genders.