Why Smart Kids Fall for Game Scams and What Parents in Singapore Can Do

In Singapore, scams aren’t just something adults deal with anymore. They’ve made their way into the digital playgrounds where our children spend hours playing, chatting, and making friends. Games like Roblox, Minecraft, and Genshin Impact are not just entertainment. They are social spaces. And scammers know it.

At GRIP Connect, we’ve seen how a simple online scam can leave deep emotional scars. Behind every “small mistake” is a child who feels embarrassed, anxious, and afraid to tell anyone what happened. The truth is, even smart, confident kids can be scammed. It isn’t because they are careless. It’s because scammers are skilled at pretending to be trustworthy.

Scams and Children: The Growing Reality in Singapore

A 2025 report by the Tech for Good Institute revealed that one in three Singaporeans has already been scammed. Even more striking, two in three people said they wouldn’t know what to do if it happened to them. Most people believe they can spot a scam, but only about 40 percent actually can.

Children are now part of this picture. Counsellors across Singapore are seeing more cases involving children under 16 who have lost game credits, virtual items, or even real money.

One story that stuck with us was about an 11-year-old boy who lost around S$500 worth of Roblox items after another player tricked him into sharing his password. The emotional fallout was far heavier than the financial loss. He felt ashamed and afraid to play again.

These are not isolated incidents. They highlight a bigger need for emotional support and better digital education for families.

Why Even Smart Kids Get Scammed

Kids today are digital pros. They can build virtual worlds, create avatars, and chat with friends online as naturally as breathing. But when it comes to reading human intentions in the digital world, their brains are still learning.

Here are a few reasons even the brightest children can be caught off guard.

1. Trust is how kids learn

Trust is essential to how children grow. They believe in fairness, honesty, and friendship. When someone in a game says, “I’ll trade you this rare pet if you give me yours first,” it sounds like a fair deal. Scammers exploit that natural belief in good intentions.

2. Familiar platforms feel safe

Games like Roblox, Fortnite or Minecraft feel like safe spaces. Kids see them as part of their everyday life. Because they’re popular and moderated, it doesn’t feel like the wild internet. That comfort can make them let their guard down.

3. Scammers know how to play on emotions

Many scams succeed because they feel personal. A scammer might say, “You’re my best teammate” or “I need your help fast.” Children are emotionally intelligent, but not yet skeptical. They respond to kindness and urgency, which scammers know how to fake.

4. The thrill of rewards

Games teach kids to chase progress and instant rewards. So when someone offers “free Robux” or “exclusive items,” it triggers excitement and curiosity. That excitement often overrides caution.

5. Fear of missing out

If their friends are trading or showing off cool virtual items, a child may feel pressured to join in. Scammers use that sense of FOMO to push them into quick, risky decisions.

The Emotional Impact: It’s More Than Just Losing a Game

When a child realises they’ve been tricked, it hits hard. They might feel ashamed, scared, or even worthless. Some start hiding their online activity. Others withdraw from gaming entirely.

From a counsellor’s point of view, this is more than a digital mistake. It’s a form of betrayal. It shakes a child’s ability to trust others and even themselves.

At GRIP Connect, we tell parents this: “what you do in the first moment after your child tells you, matters more than anything else”.

How GRIP Connect and Bamboo Builders Are Partnering to Protect Families

To strengthen this effort, GRIP Connect has partnered with Bamboo Builders, the social enterprise behind the SG ScamWISE initiative. The program’s goal is simple but powerful — to empower 100,000 Singaporeans to be Well-Informed, Secured, and Empowered by 2026.

Supported by Google.org, SG ScamWISE runs educational campaigns and workshops across schools and communities. They teach people how to recognise scams, handle emotional fallout, and build resilience against digital manipulation.

Through this partnership, GRIP Connect brings the mental health and counselling side of the story. Together, we are helping families:

• Understand the psychology of scams

• Build open communication between parents and children, even with grandparents and siblings!

• Learn emotional recovery techniques after digital loss

• Foster resilience through school and community workshops

  
  

Because protecting people from scams isn’t just about spotting red flags. It’s about building inner strength and emotional awareness.

What Parents in Singapore Can Do

Here are some practical ways you can support your child if they have been scammed, or to help prevent it from happening.

1. Respond with calm, not anger

Your child is already punishing themselves. Thank them for being honest. Tell them, “Even adults get tricked online.” That simple reassurance helps them feel safe opening up.

2. Acknowledge their feelings

Let them share what happened without interrupting. You might say, “That sounds really upsetting,” or “I can see why you trusted that friend.” This helps them process what happened without shame.

3. Teach the 10-second rule

Before clicking or responding to any exciting offer, teach your child to pause and think. Ask, “Does this sound too good to be true?” That brief pause can prevent a mistake.

4. Rebuild safety together

Sit down as a family and set simple digital rules. For example:

• Never share passwords, even with friends

• Only buy credits from official sources

• Ask before trading high-value game items. Any low-value inventory item lost is still a scam. 

  
  

When kids are part of setting these rules, they’re more likely to follow them. We also encourage or help them to install the ScamShield app (from authentic sources like PlayStore or AppStore) and can guide those without mobile devices to report scams via our nationwide ScamShield number 1799.

5. Encourage digital wellbeing

Join your child in their gaming world. Ask what they love about it, who they play with, and what makes them feel pressured or even hesitant before. These conversations turn “internet safety” into something natural, supportive and ongoing.

Rebuilding Confidence After a Scam

When a child gets scammed, they need to know it doesn’t define them. GRIP Connect uses empathy, reflection, and gentle conversation to help children rebuild trust. We guide them from “I was fooled” to “I learned something important about trust.”

Mistakes online can become powerful lessons in awareness and resilience.

The Greater Context

Singapore is one of the most connected nations in the world. That means our children are growing up in one of the most digital generations ever. But safety in this new world isn’t just about teaching what to avoid. It’s about teaching how to think, question, and communicate.

Through SG ScamWISE and GRIP Connect’s antiscam & mental wellness programs, we’re helping communities and families across Singapore protect not only their devices, but also their hearts and minds.

In the end, we need to realize that staying safe online isn’t just about passwords.

It’s about people, and about trust, empathy, and learning together.

Join the Roblox Competition 2025

Bamboo Builders and GRIP Connect are joining forces for the Roblox Competition 2025 (read more here) - submissions deadline 14 December 2025.

In this special segment, Bamboo Builders will lead an SG ScamWISE session, co-developed with the Singapore Police Force, IMDA, and the National Crime Prevention Council. In this segment children aged 9-14 will learn how to spot scams hiding in games and protect themselves from digital scams

They will then use the knowledge to create meaningful content and build mini games in Roblox to advocate for scam prevention. 

Then, GRIP Connect will guide participants through an inspiring Competition Coaching session using OSKAR framework (Solution Focused coaching model) and MangaChat (Digital journaling tool) to help children discover what drives them, help set goals, and build emotional awareness. Participants will finally contribute their competition goal manga panels to a vision map!

You can scan the QR code for Registration of the Competition here: