Helen's mother fell in love with a man she met on Facebook. This man used fake pictures and stories to win her trust. He asked her for money, saying he needed it for a surgery in Shanghai. Believing his lies, she sent him money repeatedly.
Helen noticed her mum was being secretive and receiving many calls. Helen began to worry and tried to figure out what was happening. She realized her mum was being scammed when she received strange messages. Helen tried to make her mum understand the truth.
Helen's mum didn't believe her at first. Helen spoke to the scammer on a video call and realized it was a fake. She worked with her mum's bank to protect her accounts. Families must be patient and supportive to help loved ones avoid scams.
Original news source: 'Mum sent them £140,000': How to spot the signs a loved one is being scammed – BBC News (BBC)
🎧 Listen:
📖 Vocabulary:
Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
1. Discuss a time when you trusted someone new.
2. Talk about the importance of being cautious online.
3. Share a story about a strange phone call you or someone you know received.
4. Role-play: One student acts like they are telling a secret; others guess if it’s true or false.
5. Imagine you discover someone is not who they say they are. What do you do?
🤔 Comprehension Questions:
A man she fell in love with.
He claimed he needed it for surgery in Shanghai.
Her mum was acting secretive and receiving many calls.
She spoke to him on a video call.
She didn't believe her at first.
She worked with the bank to safeguard her mum's accounts.
Families must be patient and supportive to help loved ones avoid scams.
🎧✍️ Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
Helen's mother in love with a man she met on Facebook. This man used pictures and to win her trust. He asked her for money, saying he needed it for a in Shanghai. Believing his lies, she him money repeatedly. Helen noticed her mum was being secretive and receiving many calls. Helen began to and tried to figure out what was happening. She her mum was being when she received strange messages. Helen tried to make her mum understand the . Helen's mum didn't believe her at first. Helen spoke to the scammer on a video call and realized it was a fake. She with her mum's to protect her accounts. must be patient and supportive to help loved .
💬 Discussion Questions:
1. Have you ever met someone new online?
2. Why do you think some people lie to others on the internet?
3. How do you decide if someone online is trustworthy?
4. What would you do if you found out someone was lying to you?
5. Why is it important to talk to family if you have concerns?
6. How can you help a friend who might be in trouble like Helen's mum?
7. Have you ever received strange messages? What did you do?
8. Why do you think Helen's mum didn't believe her at first?
9. What role can banks play in protecting people from scams?
10. Is it always easy to tell if someone is lying online?
11. How do you feel about sharing personal information on social media?
12. What steps can families take to protect each other from online scams?
Individual Activities
📖💭 Vocabulary Meanings:
Click a dot next to a word, then click the dot next to its meaning to draw a line connecting them.
