CyberShield Junior • Module 4

Phishing and Scam Awareness

Module 4 teaches students how to recognize suspicious messages, pressure tactics, fake offers, unsafe links, and account tricks. The goal is not to investigate scams, but to pause, protect information, and ask for help before acting.

Start Lesson 4.1Previous ModuleBack to Junior Track

Module Big Question

How can students slow down and make safer choices when a message tries to trick them?

Scams often work by making people feel rushed, scared, excited, or curious. This module helps students practice noticing warning signs before they click, reply, download, scan, or share.

Module Skill Goals

By the end of this module, students will be able to:

Explain what phishing means
Recognize suspicious messages, links, and attachments
Identify urgency, fear, reward, and pressure tactics
Understand why fake giveaways can be risky
Practice safer responses to suspicious messages
Know when to report, block, and ask for trusted help

Lessons in This Module

Follow the lessons in order to build phishing and scam awareness.

Lesson 4.1

What Phishing Means

Live

Learn what phishing is, why it tries to trick people, and how fake messages can target accounts or personal information.

Lesson 4.2

Suspicious Links and Attachments

Live

Learn why students should pause before clicking links, opening attachments, scanning codes, or downloading files from messages.

Lesson 4.3

Pressure Tactics and Urgent Messages

Live

Learn how scams use fear, urgency, rewards, and pressure to make people act before thinking.

Lesson 4.4

Fake Giveaways and Too-Good-To-Be-True Offers

Live

Learn how fake prizes, free items, game rewards, and unbelievable deals can be used to collect information or account access.

Lesson 4.5

Reporting, Blocking, and Asking for Help

Live

Learn what to do when a suspicious message appears, including when to report, block, save evidence, and ask a trusted adult.

Lesson 4.6

Phishing and Scam Awareness Review

Live

Review phishing warning signs, suspicious links, pressure tactics, fake offers, and safer response choices.

Real-World Situations

Students will practice safer decisions in situations like:

A message says a student won a free prize
A fake account asks for a login code
A link claims a game account will be deleted today
A file attachment appears from someone the student does not know
A message pressures the student to act fast
A student is unsure whether a message is real or fake

Safety Reminder

This module teaches recognition and safe response, not scam testing.

Use fake examples only
Do not click real suspicious links for practice
Do not open unknown attachments for practice
Do not scan random QR codes from messages or posters
Do not enter real usernames, passwords, login codes, or private information
Ask a trusted adult when a message feels suspicious, urgent, scary, or too good to be true

Module Completion Goal

Earn the Scam Spotter Badge.

Students complete this module when they can explain phishing, recognize suspicious message warning signs, identify pressure tactics, avoid unsafe links or attachments, and ask for trusted help before responding to suspicious online messages.

Navigation

Ready to start Module 4?

Begin with Lesson 4.1 to learn what phishing means and why fake messages try to trick people.

Start Lesson 4.1Previous ModuleBack to Junior Track