Pause
Do not let urgency choose for you.
Children · Safety and protection
Help your family pause before a scammer controls the moment.
Online scams change their stories, but families can practice a stable response: pause, verify through a separate trusted channel, and decide what to do without the sender's pressure.
View the complete Safer Homes, Emergencies, and Digital Life collection
Use the complete three-part collection
Begin with the guide, practice together, and keep the decision aid available in case someone has already clicked, shared information, or paid.
1 · Understand
Recognize the pressure pattern
Learn the common warning signs and the Pause, Check, Decide response.
Read the family guide 2 · PracticeRun a 20-minute family activity
Discuss four fictional messages without clicking, blaming, or testing anyone.
Try the activity 3 · RespondChoose the next recovery step
Use the action-based decision aid if money, information, passwords, or device access may be involved.
Open the decision aidThe family habit
Check
Verify independently—not through the message.
Decide
Act only after the claim has been checked.
No-shame rule: convincing scams are designed to create emotion and interrupt judgment. Families learn more when people can ask for help early without fear of ridicule or punishment.
Scope and safety
This collection provides general US educational information, not personalized legal, financial, cybersecurity, or law-enforcement advice. Recovery options depend on what happened and how quickly the relevant company or agency is contacted.