Flipping the Script: Why Young People Shouldn’t Blame Themselves for Online Scams
Ali Body, Head of Impacts, Insights and Research
Estimated reading time 2 minutes
At Global Action Plan, we have been speaking with young people who have been victims of online scams, as well as affected parents and teachers, to research this area more deeply.
The stories we gathered paint a concerning picture - one where the real problem isn’t naivety or recklessness but rather a system that sets young people up to fail. If we want to tackle online scams, we need to flip the script. It’s time to stop blaming young people and start holding the real culprits to account - scammers who exploit them, and the tech platforms, financial institutions, and policymakers whose inaction all too often allows these scams to thrive.
As a researcher who has spent over 20 years working with young people, I am always struck by their insightfulness, self-awareness, and willingness to share their experiences.
They are the real experts on navigating the digital world, yet they remain vulnerable to online scams.
One young woman I spoke to was scammed at 16 by a supposed friend who convinced her to open a bank account in her name. This tarnished her financial record, making it difficult to open a student bank account many years later, and yet, at the time, the bank treated her like an adult, offering no support.
She wished there had been more education and institutional accountability. Young people are on the frontline of digital scams, yet they are not given the tools or support they need. We must challenge the failing systems, listen to young people, and use their insights to drive change while demanding better protections from those in power.
As a mother of two sons - a neurodiverse tween and a teenager - this research hit home in a way I didn’t expect. Like so many parents, I didn’t grow up in a digital age where scams and online fraud are an everyday risk. We are all figuring this out together, but big tech and government aren’t doing enough to support us.
One chilling story came from a mother whose neurodiverse 10-year-old son was targeted through an online gaming platform. A scammer manipulated him into sharing personal information, building trust before attempting more serious exploitation really distraught.
This isn’t an isolated case - neurodiverse young people and those with special educational needs are particularly vulnerable. Yet, few safeguards exist. Parental controls are limited, gaming platforms have loopholes, and families bear the burden of protection. We need stronger policies and accountability from tech platforms to make digital spaces safer for all children.
Perhaps the most frustrating finding from our research was how deeply young people internalise blame when they are scammed. Many described feeling stupid, naive, or ashamed. Some didn’t tell their parents, while others didn’t report scams, believing no one would care. And in many cases, they were right - institutions offered little to no support. One young woman scammed through an online marketplace, told us how she was dismissed by both the platform and the police. A young man who lost money through a phishing scam was given a crime reference number but never heard back. The message they receive is clear: if you fall for a scam, it’s not our concern, it’s your fault.
But why aren’t tech platforms being held accountable for enabling scammers? Why aren’t banks offering better fraud protections and support for young customers? Why is there no serious investment in scam prevention education?
We need to change how we talk about online scams. Instead of placing responsibility solely on individuals, we must demand action from those with the power to create safer digital spaces. Young people are not the problem - broken systems are.
If we truly want to build a safer internet, it’s time to stop telling young people to be more careful and start demanding better from those who should be protecting them.
Join Global Action Plan’s campaign to call for a safer internet and ask your MP to help make the internet safe and protect children from scams.