Year of access: how teenagers are deceived online
With the beginning of the school year, the activity of teenagers in social networks increases, and with it the intensity of attacks on minors. According to researchers, in the first half of 2025 alone, defrauded teenagers transferred at least 600 million rubles to fraudsters. Izvestia learned from experts about current traps for children online and found out what is missing for the safety of minors in the digital environment.
Age limit
The minimum age at which children should be trusted to access the Internet is 10 years old, says Alexandra Shmigirilova, GR director of the Security Code information technology company.
— Most experts recommend providing Internet access from about the age of 10-12, when children begin to realize the dangers and are able to make more informed decisions. It is important that parents actively participate in this process, discussing the rules of online behavior and controlling the content that children can access.
She clarified that the age threshold from which children can be allowed to use smartphones with Internet access depends on a number of factors, including the child's level of maturity, his ability to understand and assess risks, as well as the necessary knowledge about safe online behavior.
Earlier, analysts at F6, a technology developer for combating cybercrime, identified 3,500 incidents in the first half of 2025 in which criminals remotely controlled the actions of minors in order to access the bank accounts of their legal representatives. According to experts, the average amount stolen is 190 thousand rubles (in the same period last year, the figure was 80 thousand rubles). The company estimated that the total damage in the first six months of 2025 amounted to at least 600 million rubles.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, from January to July 2025, almost 425 thousand crimes involving the use of information and telecommunication technologies or in the field of computer information were registered. At the same time, almost 16.4 thousand acts prohibited by the Criminal Code were committed by minors or with their participation.
Current schemes
Children's phone scams are very diverse, as well as adults, says Alexander Vurasko, Director of Development at the Solar AURA External Digital Threat Monitoring Center at Solar Group.
— It is possible to describe popular scenarios, but it is worth considering that new variations appear every few days, — the expert points out.
The most popular option now is to ask for the SMS code under various pretexts.
—And then there are threats that parents are now in big trouble," says Vurasko. — After that, children may be offered to secretly transfer their parents' money using their phone to a secure account, take money and valuables out of the house, and so on.
He drew attention to the fact that embezzlement is not the only illegal acts committed against minors.
— In recent years, there have also been cases when malefactors persuaded minors to commit any destructive actions: set fire to the relay cabinet, or even turn on the gas in their own apartment.
Criminals find young victims on a variety of platforms: messengers, social networks, gaming platforms, or simply by phone, concluded Vurasco.
Minimizing risks
To protect children from cybercrime, several key measures must be taken at once.
"Firstly, technology companies should develop platforms with content filters and monitoring systems to protect users," says Shmigirilova, a representative of the Security Code company. — Secondly, holding regular seminars for children and parents on safe online behavior will help raise awareness of possible threats.
In addition, it is important to create hotlines where teenagers can seek help in dangerous situations, as well as to ensure open communication between a child and an adult, the Izvestia interlocutor believes.
"This will help create an atmosphere of trust and willingness to share problems," emphasizes Shmigirilova.
Finally, government agencies should strengthen legislation to protect minors in the online space, including stricter rules for platforms and regular checks on their compliance, the source said.
— A comprehensive approach to these issues will help teenagers navigate the digital world safely.
The containment plan
In some cases, teenagers commit serious crimes themselves, causing significant damage, including to critical infrastructure. Preventing illegal online activities requires a combination of technical and educational measures, Shmigirilova believes.
— Set up basic parental controls to filter out dangerous content and limit the time of online activity, - the expert recommends. — Use DNS filtering to block unwanted resources.
It is critically important to explain the legal consequences of cybercrimes: account hacking, DDoS attacks and malware distribution fall under the articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, says a representative of the IT company.
— Minors should understand that anonymity on the Web is conditional — all actions leave a digital footprint.
Adjust the mechanism
Alexandra Shmigirilova is convinced that the development of legal mechanisms is also required to improve the safety of teenagers on the Internet.
— It is necessary to tighten the regulation of content aimed at minors in order to limit access to potentially dangerous materials. Mandatory moderation should be introduced on Internet platforms with increased responsibility for the dissemination of materials related to cyberbullying, fraud and other illegal activities, the expert concludes.
In her opinion, it is also necessary to strengthen the protection of personal data of teenagers, including through mandatory parental consent for their collection and processing.
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