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KS4 · Year 11 · Lesson plan

Scam awareness for teens — five scams every teenager should know

A classroom-ready 60 minutes lesson plan with starter, main, plenary, differentiation, SEND adaptations, EAL support and assessment criteria. Free to use, no login.

Key Stage
KS4
Year group
Year 11
Age range
15–16
Duration
60 minutes
Subject
Maths / PSHE / Citizenship
Cost
Free

Learning aim

Pupils can identify five common modern scams targeting teenagers, apply a three-step response (STOP, CHECK, REPORT), and know where to report a suspected scam.

CURRICULUM National Curriculum links

RESOURCES What you'll need

LESSON Lesson structure (60 minutes)

Opening
HOOK
Display a WhatsApp-style message: "Hi mum, I've lost my phone. This is my new number. Can you transfer £200 to ___ ASAP — I need it for the deposit on a new phone today." Ask: "Real or scam? How do you know?" Take 3-4 responses. Reveal: this exact scam stole £77 million from UK families in 2022 alone. Anchor the lesson: scams aren't just for older people.
Direct teach
TEACH
Define scam: "anyone trying to trick you into giving up money or information." Walk through five common modern scams: (1) Phishing — fake emails or texts pretending to be banks, HMRC, delivery companies, schools; (2) WhatsApp / parent scam — "I've lost my phone, save this new number, please transfer money"; (3) Marketplace scams — fake buyer/seller on Vinted, Depop, Facebook Marketplace; (4) Romance / friendship scams — building trust online over weeks then asking for money; (5) AI voice scams — short clips of relatives' voices (from TikTok, Instagram) used in fake distress calls. For each: name the warning sign and the right response.
Pupils apply
GUIDED
Pupils work through 8 examples on the worksheet (mix of real messages and scams). For each, mark "SCAM" or "REAL", circle warning signs, and write the right action. After 12 minutes, share answers as a class. Build the three-step rule: STOP (don't respond immediately), CHECK (call the real person or company using a number you know is theirs), REPORT (Action Fraud 0300 123 2040, your bank, or a trusted adult).
Stretch / depth
CHALLENGE
Trickier scenario: "You're selling your old phone on Vinted for £200. A buyer messages: 'I'll pay £250 instead — can you send your bank details so I can do a bank transfer?' Real or scam?" Build the answer: usually a scam. They'll either send a fake "payment confirmed" screenshot (you ship the phone, no money arrives), or they'll later ask for a "refund" to a different card (which is theirs, not yours). Rule: stick to the platform's built-in payment system (Vinted, PayPal Goods & Services, etc.) which gives buyer/seller protection.
Close
PLENARY
Each pupil writes the three rules (STOP, CHECK, REPORT) and one example of each of the five scam types. Then: "Who do I tell if I think I've been scammed?" Build the list: Action Fraud, the bank (to freeze cards), parents/carer, school safeguarding lead.

DIFFERENTIATION Adapting for all learners

Support (working below ARE)

Use 4 examples instead of 8. Pre-mark scam vs real; pupils explain WHY rather than identifying scam vs real. Focus on the three-rule framework.

Stretch (working above ARE)

Pupils design a "scam awareness poster" for the school corridor covering all five scam types and the three rules. Include a real recent UK scam statistic (from the UK Finance or Action Fraud website).

SEND SEND adaptations

For pupils with autism: provide clear, literal "if X happens, do Y" decision rules rather than situational judgement. For pupils with anxiety: emphasise that most online activity is safe — this lesson is preparation, not paranoia. For pupils with EAL or limited literacy: use the visual scam examples rather than text-heavy.

EAL EAL support

Vocabulary: "scam", "phishing", "fraud", "report", "Action Fraud", "warning sign", "suspicious", "urgency". Sentence frame: "This is a scam because ___. I will report it to ___."

ASSESSMENT Assessment criteria

Pupils can: (1) name three common modern scams; (2) identify a scam in a given real-style example; (3) name the three response rules (STOP, CHECK, REPORT); (4) name two organisations to report a scam to (Action Fraud, the bank).

HOME Homework pack

Four high-stakes activities about avoiding teen-targeted scams. ~25 minutes.

Scam types

What pupils do: Research 5 different scam types that target teens: phishing, money mule recruitment, romance scams on social media, fake job offers, "investment" scams. Write a 1-sentence description of each.

Expected output: A 5-row scam-type description.

Marking guidance: 1 mark per accurate description. 5 marks total.

Red flag drill

What pupils do: For each of these phrases, identify the red flag and what action to take: "Send your bank details to confirm prize." "Quick, easy money — just transfer this to your account." "I love you, please send me £200 for the flight." "Sign up for this no-risk crypto investment, 200% guaranteed return."

Expected output: A 4-message red-flag analysis.

Marking guidance: 2 marks per accurate analysis. 8 marks total.

Money mule trap

What pupils do: Find out what a "money mule" is. Why are teens targeted? What's the legal consequence (in the UK)? Write a 3-question short answer.

Expected output: A 3-question short response.

Marking guidance: 3 marks per accurate answer. 9 marks total. (Up to 14 years prison; targets are 18-24 most often.)

Extension (optional)

What pupils do: Design a poster for the school noticeboard warning teens about one specific scam type (your choice). Include: the trick, red flags, what to do, who to tell.

Expected output: A scam-warning poster (drawing + text).

Marking guidance: Up to 8 marks for clarity, accuracy, and visual impact.

Family discussion prompt (safeguarding-aware)

Ask a parent: "Have you ever been targeted by a scam? What did you do?" Discuss together — scams can target anyone.

SAFEGUARDING Classroom safeguarding

Note for teachers: Be sensitive — some pupils' families may have been scam victims, or pupils themselves. Don't ask pupils to share if they've been scammed. If a disclosure happens, take it seriously and follow safeguarding procedure. The UK reporting line is Action Fraud: 0300 123 2040 — include this on classroom displays.

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