Age Group: 13-18 years
Learning Objectives
By the end of the lesson, students will be able to:
- Explain why personal information, including a date of birth, has value to scammers.
- Describe how cybercriminals combine pieces of personal data to commit identity fraud.
- Identify situations in which they should and should not share their date of birth online.
- Apply practical strategies to protect their personal information online. [theguardian.com]
Starter Activity
Question on the board:
“How many websites and apps know your birthday?”
Ask students to estimate:
- Social media accounts
- Shopping websites
- Gaming platforms
- Loyalty programs
- Newsletters
Discuss:
- Why do companies ask for your birthday?
- Is it always necessary to provide it?
Explain that cybersecurity experts warn that dates of birth can become part of the information criminals use to build a profile of their victims. [theguardian.com], [journalarta.com]
Discussion Questions
- Why would knowing someone’s birthday make a scammer seem more believable?
- What other information might scammers collect from social media?
- Have you ever entered your birthday on a website without knowing why it was needed?
Share It or Skip It?”
Divide students into small groups.
For each scenario, students decide:
✅ Share your birthday
❌ Do not share your birthday
🤔 Ask why it is needed first
Scenarios
- Creating a bank account.
- Entering a competition online.
- Joining a shopping website.
- Signing up for a school learning platform.
- Creating a loyalty rewards account.
- Opening a social media account.
Key Takeaway
A birthday seems harmless, but when combined with other personal details it becomes another piece of the puzzle that scammers can use to build trust, impersonate victims, and commit identity fraud. Protecting personal information means thinking carefully before sharing it online. [theguardian.com], [journalarta.com]
