Scams that target teens (and why they work)
Fake jobs, gaming scams, romance DMs, fake delivery texts. The pattern is the same every time.
The four scams aimed at teens right now
- •FAKE-JOB / mystery shopper — they 'pay' you with a fake check, you Cash App them the 'difference.'
- •GAMING — fake skin trades, account 'verification' phishing.
- •ROMANCE — long DM relationships that end with a money request.
- •DELIVERY SMISHING — 'Your USPS package needs $1.99' texts with fake links.
The scam pattern
$1,500
Typical fake-job check loss
FTC data: thousands of teens lose $1,000+ each year to mystery-shopper / fake-job check scams. The check clears, then bounces 2 weeks later.
1) Is this person rushing me? 2) Are they asking for money in a way I can't get back (gift card, Cash App, crypto)? If yes to either — it's a scam.
Try it yourself
Read each scenario. Tap SCAM or NOT SCAM. Submit when you're done.
1.A DM offers you $500 to be a 'mystery shopper.' They mail a check for $1,500 and ask you to deposit it, keep $500, and send $1,000 back via Cash App.
2.Your bank's app sends a push asking you to approve a login from a new device. You weren't logging in.
3.Your school sends an email from your teacher's real address inviting you to a class assignment in Google Classroom.
4.A text says 'USPS: your package can't be delivered. Confirm address: usps-deliver-now.com/123'.
5.A friend you've known for years asks to Venmo you $40 for their share of dinner.
6.An Instagram DM: 'Send $50 in Cash App and I'll send you $200 back — guaranteed flip!'
Real life: meet The $1,500 fake-check job
A teen got a 'mystery shopper' offer paying $400/week. They mailed a $1,500 check, said 'deposit it, keep $400, send $1,100 back via Cash App for supplies.' Two weeks later the check bounced. The $1,100 was real. Net loss: $1,100.
Net loss: $1,100
Takeaway
Slow down. Read the message back to yourself. Anything irreversible (gift card, Cash App, crypto) for someone you've never met = scam.
Which combination is the strongest signal that something is a scam?
Takeaway: Naming the pattern (urgency + secrecy + irreversible) makes the scam visible the next time it shows up.
Try together: Run the Scam Spotter together. After, share one real text or DM each of you has received that you now realize was probably a scam.