Chapter 3: Staying Safe While Communicating

Staying Safe While Communicating 🔒

Who is really on the other side?

You lock the front door at home. You wear a helmet when you ride your bike. You look both ways before crossing the street. None of these habits mean the world is a scary place. They just mean you are smart about keeping yourself safe.

The internet needs the same kind of smart habits. Most people you meet online are friendly, but not everyone is who they say they are. Some messages aren’t even sent by people at all. They are sent by computer programs pretending to be your friend, your school, or a company you know.

In this chapter, we will learn what information to keep private, how computer programs can send messages that seem personal, how to check a message before you click, and who to turn to when something feels wrong. Let’s get started!

3.1 — Your Personal Information 🔒

Some facts about you are fun to share, like your favorite animal or the book you just finished. Other facts can point someone straight to you in the real world. Those are called personal information.

Keep These Private

Private Information	Why It Stays Private
Your full name	It can be used to search for more facts about you.
Your home address	It shows exactly where you live.
Your school’s name	It shows where you are most of the day.
Your phone number	It lets strangers contact you directly.
Your birthday	It is often used to prove who you are on accounts.
Your passwords	They are the keys to your accounts.
Photos that show your house, street sign, or school logo	A picture can share information without a single word.

Puzzle Pieces

Here is a tricky idea. One small fact might seem safe by itself. But facts are like puzzle pieces. A stranger who sees your first name in one game, your soccer team in a comment, and a photo of your street in a video can put the pieces together. Before you share anything, ask: Is this a puzzle piece that could help someone find me?

Safe or Not Safe?

✅ Safe to Share	❌ Not Safe to Share
“I love adventure books!”	“I live on Oak Street, across from the library.”
“Math is my favorite subject.”	“I go to Lincoln Elementary and my teacher is Mrs. Park.”
“I have a dog named Biscuit.”	“I walk home alone every day at 3:15.”

The quickest test is: Would I say this to a stranger at the grocery store? If the answer is no, don’t type it online.

Passwords Are Keys

A password is a key to your account. You wouldn’t hand your house key to a classmate, even a best friend. Passwords work the same way. Share them only with your parent or guardian, and never with friends, even as a sign of trust. Friends change, but your account should stay yours.

privacy means you get to decide who sees your information. Protecting it is a skill, and you just leveled it up.

3.2 — Who’s Really Sending This? 🤖

Not every message you see is typed by a person. Many are sent by an automated program, sometimes called a bot. A bot can send thousands of messages in a minute.

Helpful Bots and Harmful Bots

Many bots are helpful. A bot reminds you that your library book is due. A bot tells your family that a package has arrived. A bot in a game says, “Welcome to the server!”

But some people use bots to trick others. A scam is a trick that tries to get your money, your information, or your passwords. Scam bots can send the same trick message to millions of people at once.

Messages That Feel Personal

Here is the sneaky part. Modern bots, including some powered by AI, can make a message feel like it was written just for you. They can:

Use your name, because it showed up somewhere public.
Pretend to be a company, game, or school you really use.
Mention something real, like a game you play or a holiday that’s coming up.
Write in a friendly, chatty voice that sounds like a real kid.

A message like “Hey Maya! Congrats, you won 1,000 free gems for Block Quest! Click here before midnight!” might feel personal. But a bot could have sent that exact message to every player whose name it found.

Red Flags 🚩

Watch for these clues that a message might be a scam:

A prize you didn’t enter to win. Free gems, free money, free phones.
A rush. “Act now!” “Only 10 minutes left!” Scammers don’t want you to stop and think.
A request for private things. Your password, address, a code sent to a phone, or a parent’s card number.
A strange link or download. Especially from someone you don’t know.
Something a little off. A misspelled name, a weird address, or a friend writing in a way they never do.

3.3 — Check Before You Click 🛑

When a message makes you excited, scared, or curious, that is exactly the moment to slow down. Good digital citizens verify a message before they click a link, download a file, or share any information.

The Pause, Check, Ask Plan

Step	What You Do
Pause	Don’t click anything yet. Take one breath.
Check	Do I know this sender? Was I expecting this message? Does it have any red flags?
Ask	Show it to a trusted adult before you click, download, or reply.

Check a Different Way

If a message says it’s from someone you know, check using a different path. If “your friend” messages you in a game asking for your password, ask your friend in person at school. If a message says it’s from your game company, have a grown-up open the game the normal way, not through the link. A scammer can fake a message, but they can’t fake your real friend standing in front of you.

A Real Cyberattack Story

In July 2020, people around the world saw something strange on Twitter, the app now called X. Accounts belonging to famous people and big companies all posted the same message. It said that if people sent money in a digital currency called Bitcoin, they would get double the money back.

It was a scam. The accounts had been taken over in a cyberattack. Investigators later explained how it happened: attackers phoned some Twitter workers and pretended to be from the company’s own tech team. They tricked those workers into giving up information that let them into special tools for controlling accounts.

Who was affected? People who believed the message lost the money they sent. The famous people had their accounts used to trick their followers. Twitter had to lock down accounts and explain what went wrong. A teenager who led the attack was caught and later sentenced.

This story teaches two big lessons. First, a message from a trusted name is not always from that person. Second, the trick worked by rushing people and pretending to be someone trustworthy, the same red flags you learned in section 3.2. Even adults at a big tech company were fooled, so checking is never silly.

3.4 — Your Trusted Adult Team 🧑‍🏫

Everyone needs a team. In sports, you have a coach. In safety, you have trusted adult helpers. A trusted adult is a grown-up you know well who listens and helps, like a parent, guardian, teacher, school counselor, or librarian.

Build Your Team

Try to name at least three trusted adults: one at home, one at school, and one more. That way, someone is always nearby when you need help. A good trusted adult listens without laughing, takes your worries seriously, and helps you figure out the next step. If one grown-up doesn’t listen, don’t give up. Go to the next person on your team until someone helps.

When to Go to Your Team

Tell a trusted adult right away if:

Someone you don’t know messages you or asks you questions about yourself.
Anyone asks you to keep a secret from your parents or to move to a private chat.
Someone asks for photos, your address, or to meet in person.
A message, picture, or video makes you feel scared, confused, or uncomfortable.
You clicked something by mistake and you’re worried.

You will never be in trouble for telling. Grown-ups would much rather hear about a mistake early than find out later.

Careful with Apps and AI Tools

Some apps and AI chat tools ask you to type in information. Only use the apps and tools your school or family has approved, and never type personal information, passwords, or photos of yourself into an app you don’t know. If an app asks for something private, close it and show a trusted adult.

It’s Okay to Say No

You never have to answer a stranger’s question. You can stop replying, leave the game, block the person, and close the app. Being polite doesn’t mean you have to keep talking to someone who makes you uneasy.

Chapter 3 Activity: Message Inspector 🔍

Your Mission: You are a Message Inspector. Your job is to catch scams before they catch anyone else, using only paper.

Part 1: Sort the Facts

Your teacher will give you fact cards like “My favorite food is pizza” and “My address is 42 Maple Lane.” Sort them into two piles: Safe to Share and Keep Private. Find two cards that are puzzle pieces: safe alone, risky together.

Part 2: Inspect the Messages

Read the printed message cards. Some are real, helpful messages and some are scams. Circle every red flag you find and label it: prize, rush, private request, strange link, or something off.

Part 3: Plan the Check

For each scam, write how you would Pause, Check, and Ask. Who is on your trusted adult team, and what would you show them? Share one plan with the class.

Key Concepts Checklist

I can name five kinds of personal information that stay private
I know small facts can be puzzle pieces that add up
I share passwords only with my parent or guardian
I know bots can send messages that seem personal
I can name five red flags of a scam message
I can use Pause, Check, Ask before I click or share
I can describe a real cyberattack, how it happened, and who was affected
I can name three adults on my trusted adult team