Criminals target young people with these evil tactics

A 14-year-old boy killed himself after following the advice of an AI chatbot. Another family is suing the very same – Character AI – after it told a 14-year-old to kill his parents. It also exposed an 11-year-old child to sexual content.

These stories are harsh reminders that young people are especially vulnerable online, but AI is not the only thing targeting them.

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The people fined in the FBI's criminal division say that teenagers have lost 2,500% more money to scams in the last five years. Compare that to an 805% increase for seniors, which isn't great, but at least it's not 2,500%.

So, why the youth? Because thieves have more ways than ever to attack them. Talk to anyone in your circle born between 1996 and 2010 about this. It's a big thing.

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The most common scams and tricks

Under the influence: Say a child in your family worships an online influencer. That person is very easy to imitate. All the scammer has to do is set up a fake account that looks real, run a contest and trick the “winners” into giving out their personal information (or more) to claim their (non-existent) prizes. Done and done.

Pro tip: Stick to “legitimate” influencer accounts with high follower counts. A small account is always a fraud, not a secret one. And never give someone financial information or money via DM.

'Hello, beautiful': This is for an ancient reason. Scammers grab photos of attractive teenagers or 20-somethings and play digital Casanovas. Soon, they express their love – and then comes a request for money, gifts or information.

Pro tip: Try a reverse image search to see if those images appear elsewhere on the Internet. If someone refuses to make a video call or meet you in person, it's a bad sign.

SAID: Deepfakes are very easy to make. Talk to your children.

'Send me a picture': This is a dangerous intersection of smartphones, sex messages and scammers. Someone shares attractive photos and asks for more in return. As soon as the victim sends a photo or video, everything changes.

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This person on the other hand is suing them. Pay or they will share the content with every victim you know. Think how scary that can be at any age, but especially when you're a teenager. I spoke with a family who lost their son to suicide after what happened to them. Such a sad story, and they are not alone; this is the most common method.

Pro tip: Talk to your children about sending pictures to others online. They urged them to never share anything revealing, even with someone they know and trust. It's just not worth it.

'You won!' … Not”: This one targets the youth. The thief tricks them into revealing credit card information or downloading malware in disguise of rewards from their favorite game.

Social media apps are captured on a smartphone. (Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Pro tip: This is easy. Buy apps only or make in-app purchases through the official app store — no commercials and no “secrets.”

So, what can you do?

The Internet is an amazing source of learning, creativity and entertainment, but let's not sugarcoat it: there are dangers out there. Scammers and predators have become masters of deception, and children can easily become victims. The most important thing you can do as a parent? Foster open, honest communication.

When my son was young, I shared age-appropriate stories about what he experienced online. We discussed the risks in a way that he could understand. He knew that if anything made him uncomfortable, he should have come to me immediately, no questions asked.

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That is the foundation: trust. Children should know that they will not get into trouble for cheating. Today's cybercriminals are deceptive, and scammers know exactly how to gain a child's trust. If your child is being bullied, it's not their fault.

Here's my free technology safety contract that you can both sign if you're not sure where to start a conversation about technology limitations.

App for parents

Remember when you had a fake driver's license or told a white lie to get what you wanted? Kids have ways around parental controls and are smart enough to spin the wheel of the year of birth when registering to get the age restrictions.

A mother and teenage daughter are seen using a smartphone. (Stock)

Related: The best apps and gadgets to babysit your baby (from preschool to toddler)

Set clear ground rules for screen time and device use, and keep the conversation going as it grows. A few simple steps you can take:

• Have a passcode on their phone: You need access to everything at any time. Even if you don't come in much, they need to know that you can.
• Set limits: Use built-in app controls to monitor their time spent on apps and tools like content filters to limit their exposure to inappropriate content.
• “Friend” or “Follow Them”: Stay connected on social media to see their gatherings and collaborations. Without an open conversation, they will find ways around you.
• Know the special settings: On Snapchat, Instagram and YouTube, you can connect to your child's account.

The best protection is to be your child's go-to resource for help and guidance. Let your children know that you are there, ready to listen, no matter what. That's a real safety net.

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