More and more people are falling for scams where criminals pretend to be a real company offering jobs. They send messages through text or WhatsApp and trick people into giving them their bank details. Last year, nearly £1 million was stolen from victims of these scams. One victim, 18-year-old Bella Betterton, had £3,000 taken from her. She thought she was going to a real job interview, but it was all a trick. The police think there are many more victims who haven't reported what happened to them.

These scams work by promising people more money or work, but then stealing their money instead. Bella had been working hard to save up for university, but all her savings were taken. The scammers pretended to interview her over the phone and convinced her to buy things with their money. Then they used her information to make payments to a cryptocurrency exchange. Bella was really upset and didn't know what to do. She had never experienced anything like this before and had to work extra hours to try to make up for the stolen money.

Scammers target a lot of people, and even if only a few respond, they can get important information like bank details. They might ask for a small payment upfront, promising to pay it back later. Once they have someone hooked, they can take even more money from them. Stopping fraud like this needs everyone to work together, including the government, police, and businesses. Bella's bank won't give her the money back, but she's fighting their decision. This whole experience has made her more aware of the dangers in the world.

Original news source: I had £3,000 stolen via WhatsApp job scam message' (BBC)

– News Summary
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, students will read the article and summarize the main points in their own words. They should focus on key details such as the rise in job scams, the methods used by scammers, and the impact on victims. Afterward, each group will share their summaries with the class and compare their findings.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Students will form pairs or small groups and discuss their opinions on the topic of job scams. They should consider questions such as "Do you think you could fall for a scam like this?" and "What measures should be taken to prevent these scams?" After discussing, each group will present their opinions to the class and engage in a class-wide discussion.
– Vocabulary Pictionary
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs or small groups. Give each group a list of vocabulary words related to the article, such as "scam," "victim," "fraud," and "cryptocurrency." One student from each group will choose a word and draw a picture representing that word, while the other student(s) guess what the word is. The group with the most correct guesses wins.
– Speed Summarizing
Instructions: Divide the class into pairs. Give each pair a timer and a set amount of time (e.g., 1 minute). One student will read a paragraph from the article, and their partner must quickly summarize the main points in their own words before the time runs out. After each round, partners switch roles. The pair with the most accurate and concise summaries wins.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: In pairs or small groups, students will discuss and make predictions about the future of job scams. They should consider questions such as "How do you think scammers will adapt their tactics?" and "What measures can individuals and organizations take to protect themselves?" After discussing, each group will present their predictions to the class and engage in a class-wide discussion.

More and more people are falling for scams where criminals ? to be a real company offering jobs. They send messages through text or WhatsApp and trick people into giving them their bank details. Last year, nearly £1 million was ? from ? of these scams. One victim, 18-year-old Bella Betterton, had £3,000 taken from her. She ? she was going to a real job interview, but it was all a trick. The police think there are many more victims who haven't reported what happened to them. These ? work by promising people more ? or work, but then ? their money instead. Bella had been working hard to save up for university, but all her savings were taken. The ? pretended to interview her over the phone and convinced her to buy things with their money. Then they used her information to make payments to a ? exchange. Bella was really ? and didn't know what to do. She had never ? anything like this before and had to work extra hours to try to make up for the stolen money. ? target a lot of people, and even if only a few respond, they can get important information like bank details. They might ask for a small payment upfront, promising to pay it back later. Once they have someone hooked, they can take even more money from them. ? fraud like this needs everyone to work together, ? the government, ?, and businesses. Bella's bank won't give her the money back, but she's fighting their decision. This ? experience has made her more aware of the dangers in the world.

1. What is a scam?
2. Have you ever heard of someone falling for a scam? What happened?
3. How would you feel if someone stole your savings?
4. Do you think it's easy to trick people into giving their bank details? Why or why not?
5. What do you think the government, police, and businesses can do to stop scams like this?
6. Have you ever been targeted by a scam? What happened?
7. How do you think scammers convince people to give them money?
8. Why do you think Bella's bank won't give her the money back?
9. Do you think it's important for people to be aware of the dangers in the world? Why or why not?
10. What steps can people take to protect themselves from scams?
11. How would you react if you found out someone you know fell for a scam?
12. Do you think the scammers should be punished? Why or why not?
13. Have you ever been in a situation where you had to work extra hours to make up for lost money? What happened?
14. Do you think it's fair for scammers to target people who are saving up for something important, like university?
15. What advice would you give to someone who suspects they are being targeted by a scam?

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