Trick or Treat? Why Some Online Offers Are More Trick Than Treat
CAVEAT: Halloween is a time when children dress up in costumes, knock on doors, and eagerly anticipate the treats waiting on the other side. However, in today’s onlife world, there is another form of trick-or-treating taking place every day, one that doesn’t require a costume, a candy bag, or even leaving the house. It happens when our children encounter online giveaways, gaming rewards, social media contests, discounted merchandise, and messages promising something exciting for little or no cost. Although many of these opportunities are legitimate, others are carefully designed to deceive, manipulate, or exploit the person who responds. Here at The White Hatter, we believe Halloween provides an excellent opportunity for parents and caregivers to discuss the psychology behind online scams, why they can be so convincing, and how we can help our children develop the digital literacy skills needed to recognize when an online treat may actually be a trick. Our goal should not be to make children fearful of the internet or suspicious of every online opportunity, but rather to help them become informed, confident, and capable digital citizens who understand that sometimes the most appealing online offers deserve the closest examination.
The Digital Candy Bowl: When Something Looks Too Good to Pass Up
On Halloween, children understand that different houses offer different treats. Some neighbours hand out chocolate bars, others offer candy, and occasionally someone provides something unexpected. Now imagine a child approaching a house where a stranger promises an unlimited supply of their favourite candy, but only if they provide their full name, home address, password, and their parent’s credit card information. Most parents and caregivers would immediately recognize that something was wrong with this offer, and many children would likely recognize that something wasn’t quite right either. However, when a similar situation occurs online, particularly within a gaming environment or social media platform that a young person knows and trusts, the warning signs may not be nearly as obvious. The digital environment can create a sense of familiarity and legitimacy, especially when the offer appears alongside content from friends, favourite creators, or established gaming communities.
Consider a youth or teen playing Roblox who encounters a message promising thousands of free Robux, or a teenager playing Fortnite who sees an advertisement offering free V-Bucks, exclusive character skins, or access to a limited time gaming event. Another young person might receive a direct message claiming they have won an expensive gaming console, smartphone, or gift card simply because they liked a post or followed a particular account. These offers may include familiar company logos, professional graphics, convincing testimonials, and links to websites that closely resemble legitimate gaming platforms. What the young person may not immediately recognize is that the offer could be designed to collect their account credentials, personal information, or payment details, or to convince them to download software that compromises their device. In some cases, the objective may be to take over the child’s gaming account, particularly if that account contains purchased digital items, stored payment information, or other assets that have value.
In fact, we recently assisted a family whose young teenager was targeted through a Robux scam that resulted in their Roblox account being taken over. What initially appeared to be a relatively simple offer involving virtual currency became a real world lesson in social engineering, account security, and the value that digital possessions can hold for young people. We subsequently wrote an article titled “Protecting Kids From Robux Scams, Account Theft, and Online Predation on Roblox” (1), where we examined how criminals can exploit the appeal of virtual currency, digital possessions, and gaming communities to manipulate young people. The incident also demonstrated why parents and caregivers should not automatically dismiss virtual possessions as meaningless simply because they exist in a digital environment. To a child, those possessions may represent hours of effort, personal achievement, social status, or money they have saved and spent.
What makes these scams effective is that they are often built around something the intended victim already wants. A scammer does not necessarily need to create a new desire or convince someone to become interested in a particular product. Instead, they identify an existing interest, such as gaming currency, exclusive digital items, concert tickets, or popular merchandise, and use that interest to influence the person’s decision making. For younger children, the appeal may be receiving something valuable within their favourite game. For teenagers, the attraction may involve social status, belonging, or the opportunity to obtain something their friends already have. This is why we believe parents and caregivers should move beyond simply telling their children that free online offers are probably scams. A more effective approach is to help them understand why these offers are attractive, how someone might benefit from making them, and what steps they can take to determine whether an opportunity is legitimate.
The Halloween Mask: When Scammers Pretend to Be Someone They Are Not
Halloween is a celebration of disguises. Children dress up as superheroes, movie characters, celebrities, and fictional creatures, and everyone understands that the person behind the costume is not necessarily the character they appear to be. In the online world, however, impersonation can be far more difficult to recognize because the disguise may involve a convincing website, a familiar company logo, a trusted social media account, or even a realistic voice or video created using artificial intelligence. Unlike a Halloween costume, which is generally intended for entertainment, these digital disguises may be created specifically to deceive someone into believing they are communicating with a legitimate person, business, or organization.
Cybercriminals can create websites, advertisements, emails, and social media accounts that closely resemble legitimate businesses, gaming platforms, or popular content creators. They may copy branding, colours, promotional images, and familiar language to make their communications appear authentic. For example, a young gamer might receive a message that appears to come from Roblox warning that their account will be suspended unless they immediately verify their identity. Another might encounter a fake Fortnite promotion promising exclusive rewards that can only be claimed by visiting a particular website. Once the young person follows the link, they may be directed to a convincing imitation of a legitimate login page. If they enter their username and password, that information can be captured by the scammer and potentially used to access the account.
This type of deception is commonly referred to as phishing, a form of social engineering in which someone attempts to manipulate another person into revealing sensitive information or taking an action that benefits the attacker. Parents and caregivers should understand that phishing is no longer limited to poorly written emails filled with spelling mistakes and obvious grammatical errors. Modern fraudulent messages can be professionally designed, highly personalized, and difficult to distinguish from legitimate communications based on appearance alone. Generative artificial intelligence has also made it easier to produce convincing text, images, and other promotional materials, reducing some of the effort previously required to create believable scams.
In our article “Human Hacking in the Age of AI: How Artificial Intelligence Is Supercharging Fraud and Social Engineering” (2), we examined how criminals are increasingly using AI to enhance established social engineering techniques. The underlying principle is that fraudsters often find it easier to manipulate the person using the technology than to defeat the technology’s security systems. Rather than attempting to break through a sophisticated cybersecurity defence, they may convince someone to voluntarily provide a password, authentication code, or other sensitive information. Artificial intelligence can make these attempts more convincing by helping criminals create believable communications, impersonate trusted individuals, and personalize fraudulent approaches using information gathered from publicly available sources.
A more useful lesson for children is to verify the source of unexpected communications independently. If a message claims that their gaming account requires immediate attention, encourage them to open the official application or navigate directly to the company’s legitimate website rather than following the link provided in the message. If a favourite content creator appears to be offering an extraordinary prize, encourage them to check the creator’s established accounts and other reliable sources before responding. The important principle is that familiarity should not automatically be confused with authenticity. Just because something looks like it came from a trusted source does not necessarily mean that it did.
The Psychology Behind the Trick: Why Urgency, Scarcity, and Excitement Matter
One of the most important aspects of online fraud for parents and caregivers to understand is that successful scams do not always depend on sophisticated technology. Often, they depend on an understanding of human psychology and how emotions can influence decision making. Scammers frequently create a sense of urgency, scarcity, exclusivity, or excitement because these conditions can encourage people to act quickly rather than carefully evaluate what they are being asked to do. A message might announce that a giveaway expires in five minutes, that only a handful of free gaming codes remain, or that an account will be permanently suspended unless immediate action is taken. The objective is often to reduce the amount of time a person spends questioning the legitimacy of the offer.
For children and teenagers, these techniques can be particularly persuasive when the promised reward has meaning within their social environment. An exclusive Fortnite skin may have little significance to a parent or caregiver who does not play the game, but to a teenager whose friends are discussing that item, it may represent something desirable or socially valuable. Similarly, a limited time opportunity to receive free Robux may feel especially appealing to a child who has been saving for a particular in game purchase. The emotional response is not necessarily about the financial value of the reward. It may be connected to excitement, social belonging, competition, or the fear of missing an opportunity that others appear to be enjoying.
This fear of missing out, commonly referred to as FOMO, is not unique to children or teenagers. Adults experience it as well, particularly when confronted with limited time sales, investment opportunities, travel deals, or exclusive promotions. However, young people may have less experience recognizing how urgency and scarcity can be deliberately used to influence their behaviour. Their developing decision making skills, combined with the social significance of certain digital rewards, can make these situations particularly challenging. This does not mean children are incapable of making responsible decisions. It means they benefit from opportunities to practise recognizing when emotions may be influencing their judgment.
Here at The White Hatter, we believe one of the most valuable digital literacy skills parents and caregivers can teach is the ability to introduce a moment of deliberate friction between an emotional reaction and a digital action. We explored this broader parenting principle in our article “The Gift of Friction: Why Parents and Caregivers Need to Stop Bubble Wrapping Childhood” (3), where we discussed why allowing young people to experience manageable challenges, frustration, and uncertainty can help them develop resilience, confidence, and independence. In the context of online scams, this principle can be applied by teaching children that they do not need to respond immediately to every opportunity or demand that appears on their screen.
If an online offer creates excitement, urgency, or anxiety, that is an opportunity to slow down rather than speed up. Parents and caregivers can encourage their children to ask why the offer requires immediate action, whether the deadline can be independently verified, and what might happen if they wait long enough to investigate. Legitimate promotions can certainly have deadlines, and not every limited time opportunity is fraudulent. However, when urgency is combined with requests for passwords, payment information, or secrecy, the situation deserves additional scrutiny. Sometimes the most effective protection against online manipulation is simply giving ourselves permission to pause and think.
The Spider’s Web: How Small Requests Can Lead to Bigger Problems
Not every online scam begins with an obvious request for a password, credit card number, or other sensitive information. Some are designed as a series of seemingly harmless steps that gradually lead the intended victim toward a more consequential decision. A young person may initially encounter an advertisement promising free gaming currency or an opportunity to enter a contest. After clicking the advertisement, they are directed to another website and asked to complete a short survey. The next page may request their email address, followed by an invitation to download an application, register for a trial subscription, complete additional promotional offers, or provide payment information to verify their eligibility. Each individual step may appear relatively minor, particularly when the young person remains focused on the reward they believe is waiting at the end.
This approach can take advantage of a psychological phenomenon sometimes described as the foot in the door effect, where agreeing to a small initial request may make someone more willing to consider subsequent requests. Although not every multistep promotion is fraudulent, the technique helps explain why some scams do not immediately reveal their true objective. By the time a young person is asked for sensitive information, they may already have invested several minutes completing tasks and may be reluctant to abandon the process without receiving the promised reward. This can also involve the sunk cost effect, where people become more willing to continue an activity because they have already invested time or effort, even when continuing may not be in their best interest.
Parents and caregivers can help children recognize these situations by encouraging them to consider the relationship between the promised reward and the information being requested.
Why would a legitimate gaming company require someone to download an unrelated application before receiving free currency?
Why would a giveaway need access to a person’s contacts or location?
Why would someone need to provide a credit card number to receive something advertised as completely free?
These questions encourage young people to think critically about the purpose of each request rather than simply following instructions because they appear on a screen.
It is also important to explain that personal information has value, even when no money changes hands. A full name, date of birth, email address, phone number, home address, or gaming username may appear relatively harmless when considered individually. However, when combined with other information available online, these details can potentially be used for account recovery attacks, impersonation, targeted phishing, or other forms of fraud. Helping children understand the value of their personal information is an important part of digital literacy, particularly because many online services routinely request information as part of legitimate registration and verification processes. The skill we want to develop is not refusing every request for information, but learning to distinguish between reasonable requests and those that are unnecessary, excessive, or suspicious.
The Fake Influencer Giveaway: When Popularity Becomes a Disguise
For many teenagers, social media creators and online personalities are an important part of their entertainment and social environments. They may follow gaming streamers, musicians, athletes, lifestyle influencers, or content creators whose recommendations and opinions carry considerable influence. Scammers understand this relationship and may attempt to exploit the trust that young people place in familiar online personalities. A fraudulent giveaway might feature a popular creator’s photograph, familiar branding, and a message announcing that followers have an opportunity to win a smartphone, gaming console, concert tickets, or gift cards. The promotion may even include comments from accounts claiming they have already received their prizes, creating the impression that the opportunity is legitimate and widely supported.
In some cases, scammers create impersonation accounts that closely resemble the legitimate creator’s profile. They may use similar usernames, copied photographs, and familiar promotional language to make the account appear authentic. Another approach involves contacting people who have commented on a legitimate giveaway and falsely informing them that they have won. The recipient may then be directed to an external website where they are asked to pay a small shipping fee, provide banking information, or enter personal details to claim their prize. The requested payment may seem insignificant compared with the value of the promised reward, which can make the request appear reasonable to someone who is excited about winning.
This creates an important opportunity for parents and caregivers to discuss the difference between popularity, familiarity, and credibility. A large follower count does not automatically establish that an account is authentic, and positive comments do not necessarily prove that a promotion is legitimate. Even genuine accounts belonging to established creators can potentially be compromised and used to distribute fraudulent content. Similarly, a verified account or familiar brand should not eliminate the need to evaluate an unexpected request, particularly when it involves sensitive information or payment.
Rather than discouraging youth and teens from following online creators or participating in legitimate contests, parents and caregivers can help them develop a verification process. Encourage young people to examine account details carefully, look for confirmation through established channels, and question unexpected messages announcing that they have won something they may not even remember entering. If a promotion requires payment to release a prize, or if someone insists that the winner must keep the opportunity secret, those are additional reasons to investigate before proceeding. The goal is to help children recognize that trust should be based on evidence rather than appearance or popularity alone.
The QR Code Trick: When a Digital Shortcut Leads Somewhere Unexpected
QR codes have become a familiar part of everyday life. We encounter them on restaurant menus, event posters, advertisements, product packaging, parking meters, and promotional materials. For many young people, scanning a QR code feels like a routine digital action, no different from clicking a link or opening an application. However, QR codes can also be used to direct people to fraudulent websites, a technique sometimes referred to as quishing, which combines QR codes with phishing. The QR code itself is simply a method of directing someone to digital information. The concern is where it leads and what the person is encouraged to do once they arrive.
Imagine a Halloween themed poster advertising a contest to win a gaming console or a collection of free digital rewards. The poster features colourful graphics, a recognizable company logo, and a QR code inviting people to enter immediately. A young person scans the code and is directed to a website requesting their name, email address, gaming credentials, or payment information. Because the interaction began with a physical poster or an apparently legitimate advertisement, they may be less inclined to question the destination. Similar tactics can occur when fraudulent QR code stickers are placed over legitimate ones or when codes are distributed through social media posts, emails, and direct messages.
Parents and caregivers can explain that scanning a QR code should involve the same critical thinking used when following any unfamiliar link. Before entering information, users should examine the destination, consider whether the website is associated with the organization it claims to represent, and determine whether the requested information is necessary. Many smartphones display a preview of the destination before opening it, which can provide an opportunity to identify an unexpected or suspicious address. However, even a website using HTTPS and displaying a padlock symbol is not necessarily legitimate. These features indicate that the connection is encrypted, but fraudulent websites can use encryption as well.
The broader digital literacy lesson is that convenience should not replace verification. QR codes are useful technologies that make accessing information easier, but their simplicity can also encourage people to move quickly from a physical or digital advertisement to an unfamiliar website without considering the potential risks. Teaching children to recognize this distinction helps them become more thoughtful users of technology rather than simply more cautious scanners of QR codes.
Halloween Shopping: When the Bargain Becomes the Trick
Halloween is also a time when families shop online for costumes, decorations, makeup, accessories, and party supplies. Social media advertisements and online marketplaces can make it easy to discover products that may not be available locally, often at attractive prices. Unfortunately, fraudulent shopping websites can take advantage of seasonal demand by advertising popular products at unusually low prices or claiming to have hard to find items available for immediate delivery. These websites may appear professional, complete with product photographs, customer reviews, shipping information, return policies, and familiar payment logos. To someone looking for a last minute costume or an affordable Halloween decoration, the offer may seem like an excellent opportunity.
The potential problems extend beyond simply receiving a poor quality product. Some fraudulent retailers never deliver the merchandise, while others may send items that are substantially different from what was advertised. In more serious cases, the website may be designed primarily to collect payment information or personal details. The challenge for consumers is that professional website design is no longer a reliable indicator of legitimacy. Modern website building tools, copied product photographs, fabricated reviews, and AI generated promotional materials can make questionable online stores appear convincing, even when the business behind them has little or no established reputation.
Parents and caregivers can use seasonal shopping as an opportunity to model good digital decision making. Before purchasing from an unfamiliar retailer, consider researching the business independently, reviewing its contact information, examining its shipping and return policies, and looking for credible customer feedback outside the seller’s own website. Be cautious when a retailer offers prices that are dramatically lower than those available elsewhere, particularly when the advertisement also creates pressure to purchase immediately. Payment methods matter as well, since credit cards may offer dispute protections that are not available through irreversible payment methods, although specific protections depend on the financial institution and circumstances.
This is an especially valuable lesson for older teenagers who may be beginning to shop independently online. Rather than simply warning them about fraudulent websites, involve them in the process of evaluating unfamiliar retailers. Ask what information would help establish whether the business is legitimate, how they would verify a product’s authenticity, and what steps they could take if an order never arrived. These are practical financial and digital literacy skills that will remain relevant long after Halloween.
Artificial Intelligence: A New Costume for an Old Scam
Although online fraud existed long before generative artificial intelligence became widely accessible, AI is creating additional opportunities for scammers to make familiar forms of deception more convincing. AI tools can assist in producing realistic promotional images, persuasive advertising copy, synthetic voices, fabricated customer testimonials, and videos that appear to feature real people endorsing products or services. This can reduce some of the time, effort, and technical expertise previously required to create convincing fraudulent content. However, it is important to distinguish between what AI makes possible and what has been established about the frequency of its use in particular types of scams. Not every sophisticated fraud involves AI, and not every AI generated advertisement is deceptive.
Consider a fraudulent gaming giveaway that appears to feature a popular content creator encouraging followers to claim free digital currency. In the past, scammers might have relied on stolen photographs, copied text, or impersonation accounts. Today, generative AI can potentially be used to create synthetic promotional material that makes the endorsement appear more authentic. Similarly, AI generated customer service messages may be used to create the impression that a fraudulent website has an established support team ready to assist customers. The concern is not that AI has invented a new form of dishonesty, but that it can make established deceptive techniques easier to produce, personalize, and distribute.
We recently explored another example of how technology can unintentionally lead people toward fraudulent interactions in our article “When Your Voice Assistant Calls a Scammer: How AI, Search Engines, and Fake Customer Service Numbers Can Put Your Financial Information at Risk” (4). This article was prompted by a situation in which we assisted an adult who used Siri to contact what they believed was their credit card company’s fraud department, only to be connected to a fraudulent operation. The case illustrates how people may place greater confidence in information when it is delivered through technology they already trust. Although this example involved an adult rather than a child, the underlying lesson is equally relevant to young people who increasingly rely on search engines, AI assistants, and automated systems to locate information and make decisions.
For parents and caregivers, this represents an important change in how we should approach digital literacy education. Historically, people were often encouraged to look for spelling mistakes, poor graphics, or unusual language as warning signs of online fraud. Although these indicators can still be useful, they are no longer sufficient on their own. A professionally written message, realistic photograph, convincing video, or familiar voice should not automatically be treated as proof that the content is authentic. Instead, young people need to understand the importance of examining the source, context, purpose, and legitimacy of the information they encounter.
We believe this is one of the reasons AI literacy and traditional digital literacy are becoming increasingly interconnected. Children need to understand not only how to use emerging technologies, but also how those technologies can influence the information they encounter and the decisions they make. The answer is not to assume that everything online is fake, but to recognize that convincing appearances are only one piece of evidence when determining whether something should be trusted.
Why Smart Kids, and Smart Adults, Can Still Fall for Online Tricks
One of the most important messages we share with parents and caregivers is that falling for an online scam is not necessarily a reflection of someone’s intelligence. Fraudsters frequently exploit ordinary human emotions, including excitement, curiosity, fear, trust, embarrassment, and the desire to belong. These emotions are not weaknesses unique to children. Adults experience them as well, which helps explain why people of different ages, educational backgrounds, and professional experiences can become victims of fraud. A person may be highly knowledgeable in one area of life while having limited experience recognizing a particular type of digital deception.
Children and teenagers are still developing the knowledge, judgment, and experience needed to evaluate unfamiliar situations. Their online environments may also involve digital currencies, gaming communities, and social expectations that parents and caregivers do not fully understand. A parent or caregiver unfamiliar with Roblox may not appreciate why free Robux could be so appealing to a child, just as a parent or caregiver who does not play Fortnite may underestimate the perceived value of an exclusive digital item. For a young person, the reward may represent more than entertainment. It may be connected to participation in a peer group, personal achievement, or a sense of belonging within a digital community.
This is why we encourage parents and caregivers to take an interest in the online environments their children enjoy, even when those environments are unfamiliar. Understanding what makes a particular game, creator, or digital reward appealing can help parents recognize the types of scams their children may encounter. It can also create opportunities for meaningful conversations about digital safety without making the child feel that their interests are being dismissed or criticized. A parent or caregiver who understands why a particular gaming reward matters is often better positioned to explain how that interest could be exploited by someone attempting to deceive them.
Rather than approaching every suspicious online offer as evidence that a child is being careless, we should view these situations as opportunities to develop judgment and resilience. Digital literacy is not simply the ability to identify a scam after someone else has explained it. It is the ability to evaluate unfamiliar situations independently, recognize when additional information is needed, and make informed decisions even when emotions or social pressures are involved. These skills develop through education, experience, discussion, and practice, not through fear alone.
When the Trick Works: Why a Parent or Caregiver’s Response Matters
Even with education, supervision, and reasonable safeguards, children and teenagers will sometimes make mistakes online. A young person may click a fraudulent link, provide personal information, download an unwanted application, or enter their gaming credentials into a fake website. When this happens, the parent or carregiver’s response can significantly influence whether the child feels comfortable asking for help in the future. If the immediate reaction is anger, embarrassment, punishment, or the automatic removal of technology, some young people may become more reluctant to disclose future problems, particularly when they believe they have done something wrong.
We explored this issue in greater detail in our article “From ‘Why’ to ‘How’: Changing the Questions We Ask Our Kids About Their Digital Lives” (5). In that article, we discussed how the language parent and caregivers use when responding to an online mistake can influence whether a child becomes defensive or feels comfortable participating in a constructive conversation. Rather than immediately asking, “Why would you click on something like that?” a parent or caregiver might ask, “Help me understand how this happened, what made the offer appear legitimate, and how we might recognize something similar in the future.” The difference is not about eliminating accountability, but about creating an opportunity for reflection, learning, and problem solving.
This does not mean parents and caregivers should ignore mistakes, eliminate consequences, or abandon reasonable boundaries. It means that the first priority should be understanding what happened, limiting potential harm, and helping the child learn from the experience. A calm and supportive response can create an opportunity to identify what information was shared, what accounts may have been affected, and what steps should be taken to prevent further harm. It can also help the young person understand how the scam worked without making them feel ashamed for having been deceived.
If a gaming or social media account has potentially been compromised, parents and caregivers should help their child access the legitimate service, change affected passwords, enable multi factor authentication where available, and review account activity for unauthorized changes. If the same password was used for other services, those accounts should also be secured. If payment information was provided, contacting the financial institution promptly may help limit financial harm. If a suspicious application was downloaded, further technical assistance may be needed to assess the device and determine whether additional security measures are necessary. In Canada, suspected fraud can also be reported to the Canadian Anti Fraud Centre, which collects information about fraud and provides guidance to consumers.
However, beyond the technical response, there is an equally important relational component. We want our children to understand that asking for help is not an admission of failure. It is a responsible decision that can prevent a difficult situation from becoming worse. A child who knows they can approach a trusted adult without automatically losing access to their digital world may be more willing to disclose problems early, when intervention can be most effective.
Here at The White Hatter, this is what we mean when we emphasize the importance of connection as a foundation of online safety. Technology can provide useful protective tools, but it cannot replace the value of a trusted relationship between a young person and a caring adult who is prepared to listen, guide, and assist when something goes wrong.
Teaching Children to Recognize the Difference Between a Digital Trick and a Treat
One of the challenges with traditional internet safety messaging is that it often relies on simple instructions such as “don’t click suspicious links,” “never talk to strangers online,” or “if something seems too good to be true, it probably is.” Although these statements may contain useful elements of advice, they do not always provide children with the reasoning skills needed to evaluate situations that are less obvious. What appears suspicious to an experienced adult may look completely normal to a young person who has grown up in an environment where online promotions, gaming rewards, and social media contests are common.
We believe a more effective approach is to teach children a series of questions they can apply whenever they encounter an unexpected offer. The first question is who is making the offer and whether that person’s or organization’s identity can be independently verified. The second is why the offer is being made and what the individual or company might gain from the interaction. The third is what information, payment, or action is being requested in return, and whether that request is reasonable given the promised reward. The fourth is whether the offer creates unnecessary urgency or pressure to act without thinking. The fifth is how the young person could verify the offer through a legitimate source without relying on the information provided by the person making the original claim.
These questions encourage a process of critical evaluation rather than automatic suspicion. They also help children recognize that legitimate businesses may offer promotions, giveaways, discounts, and rewards, but those opportunities should still be evaluated thoughtfully. A genuine contest may require contact information to notify a winner, for example, while a fraudulent contest may request account passwords or payment details that have no reasonable connection to awarding a prize. Understanding these distinctions helps young people become more capable of navigating digital environments independently.
Parents and caregivers can reinforce these skills by discussing real world examples rather than relying exclusively on hypothetical warnings. If a child encounters an advertisement for free gaming currency, use it as an opportunity to examine the offer together. Ask what makes it appealing, what information is being requested, and how the promotion could be verified. If the offer turns out to be legitimate, that is still a valuable learning experience because it demonstrates that critical thinking is not about assuming the worst. It is about making decisions based on evidence.
Turning Halloween Into a Family Digital Literacy Opportunity
Halloween provides a natural opportunity to introduce these conversations in a way that is engaging, memorable, and relevant to children’s everyday experiences. Just as we teach younger children to look both ways before crossing the street, to understand why certain situations require adult assistance, and to recognize when something does not feel right, we can help them develop similar habits in their digital environments. The objective is not to remove every possible risk from their lives, which is neither realistic nor developmentally desirable, but to help them build the judgment and confidence needed to navigate increasingly complex situations.
One activity parents and caregivers might consider is creating a family game involving examples of online offers. Present several hypothetical promotions, including legitimate giveaways, suspicious gaming rewards, fraudulent shopping advertisements, and social media contests. Ask your child to determine whether each offer appears to be a trick, a treat, or something that requires further investigation. Rather than focusing exclusively on whether they choose the correct answer, encourage them to explain their reasoning.
What information influenced their decision?
What additional evidence would they want?
What would they do if they were uncertain?
For example, imagine a child receiving a message stating that they have been selected to receive 10,000 free Robux as part of an exclusive Halloween promotion, but that the offer expires in five minutes and requires them to enter their Roblox username and password. Instead of immediately identifying the message as fraudulent, parents and caregivers could ask their child what concerns they notice. The unusually generous reward, short deadline, request for account credentials, and need to follow an unfamiliar link all provide opportunities to discuss common scam techniques. Parents and caregivers could then compare this example with a legitimate promotion offered through an established gaming platform and ask their child to identify the differences.
These types of conversations can be particularly valuable because they allow children to practise making decisions in a low risk environment. They also provide parents with insight into how their children evaluate online information, what they understand about scams, and where additional education may be helpful. Most importantly, they reinforce the idea that digital safety is something families can learn about together rather than a collection of rules imposed by adults who may not fully understand the technology their children use.
Not Every Online Treat Is a Trick, but Every Offer Deserves a Second Look
Halloween reminds us that appearances can be deceiving. A frightening monster standing at the front door may simply be a friendly neighbour wearing a costume, while an attractive bowl of candy may contain something we do not particularly enjoy. The same principle applies to our digital world, where an online offer may appear exciting, exclusive, and completely legitimate, yet still be designed to collect personal information, compromise an account, or manipulate someone into making a decision they would not otherwise make.
However, we should be careful not to allow legitimate concerns about online fraud to become another reason to frighten children away from technology. The internet provides extraordinary opportunities for learning, creativity, entertainment, communication, and connection. Gaming communities, online marketplaces, and social media platforms can all offer positive experiences when used appropriately. Our responsibility as parents and caregivers is to help children develop the knowledge and confidence needed to recognize the difference between legitimate opportunities and potentially harmful deception, while also understanding that mistakes can happen even when someone has received good education and guidance.
This means moving beyond simple warnings and helping young people understand the psychology behind online scams, the techniques used to create convincing digital disguises, and the importance of verifying information before acting. It also means recognizing that our response when something goes wrong can either strengthen or weaken the trust our children place in us. We want young people to know that they can come to us for help, even when they have clicked something they should not have, shared information they later regret, or fallen for an offer that turned out to be fraudulent.
Here at The White Hatter, we have long believed that protecting children in their onlife world requires more than parental controls, restrictions, or legislation. It requires education, communication, critical thinking, and opportunities to practise making informed decisions. We believe the most effective approach to digital safety is one that prepares children for the realities of technology rather than attempting to frighten them away from it.
This Halloween, while our children are learning to recognize the difference between tricks and treats at the front door, let’s also help them develop the knowledge and skills to recognize the difference online. After all, the goal is not to raise children who are afraid to open digital doors. It is to raise children who understand the importance of looking through the digital peephole before deciding whether to open them.
Digital Food For Thought
The White Hatter
Facts Not Fear, Facts Not Emotions, Enlighten Not Frighten, Know Tech Not No Tech
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