New resources are being rolled out so schools can hold anti-fraud lessons to help protect children from financial exploitation and prevent them from becoming ‘money mules’.
The classes will provide children aged 10 to 18 with guidance on how to spot warning signs, as well as educating them on the methods criminals use to target teenagers.
Victims are often coerced by criminals who offer seemingly legitimate job opportunities to make quick cash, getting them to transfer funds into their bank account and then out to another, in return for a small percentage. In reality, they are unsuspecting victims targeted by fraudsters to move their dirty money around and evade law enforcement.
This can have devastating impacts on young people, who could face prosecution and have their bank accounts blocked indefinitely. It can lead to serious consequences in the future such as struggling to secure student loans, difficulties finding employment and accessing housing.
Police and safeguarding teams are also increasingly receiving reports from young people of financially motivated sexual extortion – known as ‘sextortion’. This sees someone forced into paying or moving money after a criminal has threatened to release sexual or intimate images of them.
The new teaching resources have been offered in addition to the new RSHE curriculum, published earlier this year.
Lord Hanson, Minister for Fraud said: "Financial exploitation is an abhorrent crime and can have devastating impacts on a young person’s future.
"This can include having bank accounts blocked or restricted, making it harder for them to secure a student loan or even a mortgage in the future.
"Prevention is a key part of our Fraud Strategy, which is why we have rolled out these lessons to children and parents to help increase awareness and reduce the chances of them being exploited by scammers."
The government-funded lessons have been designed by specialist police officers from the South West Regional Organised Crime Unit, in collaboration with the PSHE Association. Teachers can use these resources in RSHE lessons and will help develop pupils’ knowledge of what money laundering and financial exploitation is, and how to report it to the right person.
Guidance will also be issued to teachers, parents and carers about the different types of scams that criminals are using, how to spot warning signs and where to access specialist support if needed.
This vital education tool sits outside of the statutory curriculum and comes as part of the government’s Fraud Strategy.
