Can you spot a scam?
Get your students talking about scams as they explore this topic by answering questions and participating in group discussions. The language in this poll is suitable for low-intermediate+ English learners. Comprehensive lessons on this topic are available in our Discussion Starters and That's News to Me sections and can be used before or after this poll if your students are interested.
Preview
1. Have you ever been a victim of a scam?
- Yes. I have fallen for a scam.
- No. I have never fallen for a scam.
Keywords
Do you know these words?
- fall for
- victim
- target
- instinct
- gullible
- spot
Agree or Disagree?
2. Victims of scams are often elderly people.
- Agree. Elderly people often fall for scams.
- Disagree. Scammers don't target people based on age.
3. I never respond to a text message if I don't recognize the phone number.
- Agree. This is often a phone scam.
- Disagree. I respond, but I am careful.
4. I trust my instincts to tell me when something doesn't feel right.
- Agree. I have a good gut instinct.
- Disagree. I am gullible.
Elaborate
5. I know how to spot...
- a phone scam
- an email scam
- a prize scam
- a social media scam
- a banking scam
- a scammer at my front door
6. To avoid scams, I...
- learn common tricks scammers use
- use a spam filter on my email
- only answer calls or texts if I know the number
- create strong passwords
- don't give my phone number out
- only follow people I know on social media
- use strong privacy settings on my phone
7. What should victims of bank fraud do?
- call the police
- warn friends and family members
- contact their bank
- cancel their credit card(s)
- change their passwords
- hire a lawyer
- share the scam on social media