Scams, Identity Theft, and Protecting Your Money
Aligned to JS:FD-11 — Jump$tart National Standards in K-12 Personal Finance Education & Advance CTE Career Clusters.
What this lesson teaches
Scams work on urgency, authority and secrecy: act now, I am from the government, do not tell anyone. Identity theft works quietly, using your name to open accounts you never see. The defenses are boring and effective — freeze your credit, verify independently, never pay in gift cards.
Worked examples
Example 1
A caller says they are from the IRS and you will be arrested unless you pay in gift cards today. The IRS contacts people by mail and never asks for gift cards. Hang up.
Example 2
A credit freeze is free, blocks new accounts in your name, and can be lifted in minutes when you actually apply for something. It is the single strongest protection available.
Example 3
Check your free credit reports once a year. An account you did not open is the earliest visible sign of identity theft, often months before any bill arrives.
Practice questions
- Name the three pressure tactics scams rely on.
- Someone claiming to be your bank asks you to confirm your password. What do you do, exactly?
- Explain what a credit freeze does and why it is worth doing before you need it.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Estafas, robo de identidad y proteger tu dinero
Las estafas funcionan con urgencia, autoridad y secreto: actúa ya, soy del gobierno, no le digas a nadie. El robo de identidad funciona en silencio, usando tu nombre para abrir cuentas que nunca ves. Las defensas son aburridas y efectivas — congela tu crédito, verifica por tu cuenta, nunca pagues con tarjetas de regalo.
Ejemplo 1: Alguien llama diciendo ser del SAT o del IRS y que te arrestarán si no pagas hoy con tarjetas de regalo. Esas instituciones contactan por correo y nunca piden tarjetas de regalo. Cuelga.
Ejemplo 2: Congelar el crédito es gratis, bloquea cuentas nuevas a tu nombre y se puede levantar en minutos cuando de verdad solicitas algo. Es la protección más fuerte que existe.
Ejemplo 3: Revisa tus reportes de crédito gratuitos una vez al año. Una cuenta que no abriste es la señal visible más temprana de robo de identidad, muchas veces meses antes de que llegue una factura.
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