How Online Scams Go Offline

Kids my age are online from the moment we wake up to when we go to bed. But every time we log on, click, and scroll, we give away valuable personal information: our names, emails, interests, maybe even where we live, all of which opens the door to cyber threats. And that puts each of us at risk of identity theft, falling victim to scams, and worse.

…Students like me are left to wonder, who saw my information, and what could they do with it?

Cybersecurity breaches aren't just annoying spam texts and robocalls. They can expose private data at places we're supposed to trust, like schools or hospitals. In just the past year, school districts from California to Massachusetts and my home state of Maryland have been targeted by ransomware attacks, where hackers threaten to leak private data unless they're paid a ransom. Sometimes they're caught. Most of the time, they're not. Either way, students like me are left to wonder, Who saw my information, and what could they do with it?

Video games are popular with young people, but they present a big cybersecurity threat too. Take Roblox, for example. Scammers often target the game's young players by pretending to be Roblox employees, or offering fake but enticing rewards, like "free Robux." My brother (an avid player) told me he's received messages linking to scam sites that steal items or hack users' accounts. Unfortunately, this problem is bigger than one game. I've gotten Instagram DMs that looked like they were from friends—sometimes even about real things they were doing. If my friends hadn't warned me, scammers could've locked me out, accessed my private messages, and used my profile to trick others.

While hackers can find, steal, and even buy sensitive information from data breaches on the dark web—like login credentials or Social Security numbers—many also just use social engineering tactics to trick people into giving over their information directly. Some use this information to extort users, threatening to leak personal data, private messages, or compromising images unless they're paid; others will use this data to steal users' identities.

Like many teens heading to college, I'll soon take out my first loan—but if my identity had been stolen, it could have affected my ability to pay for college.

We need to be smarter than the scammers. Parents can help by having honest, open conversations with their kids. And even teens like me can engage with our friends. It can be as easy as asking, "What games are you playing? Did you use your real name? Have you ever been asked to enter credit card info?" It might feel awkward at first, but these conversations can help. As with many teens preparing for college, I'll soon be taking out a loan for the first time in my life. If my identity had been stolen and my credit history compromised (which happens with many kids because their credit isn't being monitored as closely), it could have affected my ability to pay tuition.

It's also important for parents and teens to keep an eye out for cyber red flags. If a game asks for your location or tells you to turn off your ad blocker, something may be askew. If someone says you have to act fast to win a prize, you should pause. Experts say that taking just nine seconds to stop and think, or "Take 9," can reduce a scammer's success. We should all use strong passwords, never use the same password twice, and log out of shared devices after we're done.

Lawmakers have a role to play in helping to protect kids and teens online, too. Right now, too many of our anchor institutions like K-12 schools, universities, hospitals, and libraries don't have enough funding to hire sufficient IT staff or set up cybersecurity protections. Our elected officials should do more to provide support to students, administrators, and educators—including by promoting digital literacy education. While there is some support available, it is insufficient.

With the growth of AI, the internet is getting riskier, but that doesn't mean we have to live in cyber fear. All internet users deserve safe, secure systems, better education and support, and honest conversations about what's at stake. We all have a role to play in cyber civil defense.