Scams and identity theft, explained

Scammers go after teens because teens are online a lot, often have a little money, and may not have seen the tricks before. The messages change, but the moves are the same.

Common scams aimed at teens:

• Fake jobs that pay too much for too little work, or ask you to buy equipment or gift cards first.
• Prizes and giveaways you never entered, that need a "small fee" to claim.
• Phishing: texts, emails or DMs pretending to be your bank, a delivery company or a game, with a link to "verify your account."
• Online shopping scams: cheap sneakers, tickets or consoles from sellers who never ship.
• Sextortion and romance scams, where someone builds trust and then demands money. If this happens, stop replying, don't pay, save the messages and tell a trusted adult right away.

Red flags show up in almost all of them: pressure to act right now, a request to pay with gift cards, crypto or a payment app, a request for a code that was texted to you, and a deal that's too good to be true.

Identity theft is when someone uses your personal information, like your Social Security number, to open accounts or borrow in your name. Protect it: don't share your SSN unless you must, use different passwords and turn on two-factor login, and never give anyone a login code. Since kids usually don't have credit, theft can go unnoticed for years, so it's smart to check your credit report once you're older (free at annualcreditreport.com).

If you're not sure, stop, don't click, and contact the company yourself using a number or app you already know is real.