Fake Friends Online: A Kid's Guide

What is an impersonation trick?

Sometimes, someone online pretends to be a person you know. They might say they are your mum or dad, your nan, a friend, a teacher, or even a police officer or someone from the bank. But they are not really that person. They are just pretending.

They do this to try to trick you into giving them money or secrets, like your name, address or password.

These tricksters might say it is an emergency, or that something bad will happen if you do not help them quickly. But they are lying to make you panic.

Cute cartoon purple bird with big eyes and orange beak and feet.

Why do you need to know this?

People like this do not just try to trick adults. They sometimes try to fool kids too.

They might say things like “Your mum is hurt and needs help!” or “Your friend is stuck and needs money!” but it is not true. They just want you to believe them so you do what they ask

How can you tell if someone is pretending?

If a message or phone call feels strange, stop and check.

Here are some signs it might be a trick:

Someone says they need money quickly because of an emergency
They say they are from the police or bank and ask you to move money
They tell you not to tell anyone else
They want you to hurry and not stop to think
They ask you to buy gift cards or use weird apps to send money
They ask you to download something onto your computer or phone

If anything like this happens, go tell a grown-up you trust right away.

What should you do to stay safe?

Here’s your Safe and Smart Plan:

Stop and think – it is always okay to take a moment before you do anything.
Talk to a grown-up – If something feels wrong, go ask for help. Never keep secrets about messages or money.
Do not send money – Even if they say it is urgent, do not send anything. Check first.
Do not click on weird links – Always ask first
Use strong passwords – And do not tell anyone, not even your best friend

What if you already spoke to a trickster?

Tell a grown-up right away
They can call the bank and try to stop the trick
Keep any messages, phone numbers or names that were used
Ask an adult to report it at actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040
Most important of all – you are not in trouble. You did the right thing by telling someone