What it shows
A set of made-up messages, some genuine-looking and some fake, is sorted by friends using a checklist, and the results show which tricks work best. It teaches how to recognise phishing and scam messages.
The science
Phishing is a trick that makes a person click a link or give details such as an OTP by creating urgency, fear or the promise of a prize. Common signs are a sender address that does not match the company, a link that goes elsewhere, spelling mistakes, and a demand to act at once. Real banks and services do not ask for passwords or OTPs by message.
Materials
Cost: free. Many items come from home or from waste; spare parts such as LEDs, motors and wire are in the store.
- A computer, laptop or phone with a browser (free)
- A word processor or presentation program (free), such as LibreOffice or Google Docs
- 12 made-up messages you write yourself, 6 safe and 6 scams, with invented names and no real brands
- Ten volunteers
- A notebook and a pencil
Safety
For this project: Use only invented messages and never real company logos, phone numbers or links. Do not send fake messages to anyone, and a teacher must approve the test.
Never use mains electricity: power models with cells, batteries or a low-voltage adapter. Sharp and hot tools, flames and lab chemicals need an adult or your teacher beside you. Keep magnets, button cells and small parts away from young children, and wash your hands after making.
All the safety rulesStep by step
8 steps. Do them in order, and test each part before you go on to the next. Write what you notice in a notebook as you go.
Write 12 short invented messages on a sheet, for example a prize claim, a KYC warning, a parcel notice and a normal message from a teacher; make half of them scams.
Write a checklist of five signs: urgent threat, asks for OTP or password, odd sender, mismatched link, too good to be true.
Print the 12 messages with numbers and ask ten volunteers to mark each as Safe or Scam without help.
Record the answers in a spreadsheet with the message number in rows and the volunteers in columns.
Count how many volunteers got each message right with =COUNTIF(B2:K2,"Scam") against the true answer.
Find the messages that fooled most people and note which sign they hid.
Teach the checklist to the volunteers and test them again with six new messages to see if scores improve.
Make a poster: Stop, Check, Ask an adult, and never share an OTP.
What you should see
A table shows which fake messages fooled the most people, and the second test usually shows better scores after the checklist is taught.
Viva questions
A teacher or a judge will ask how it works. Try to answer each question before you open it, then compare.
1What is phishing?
A trick to make you reveal details or click a bad link by pretending to be a trusted sender.
2Name two warning signs.
Urgent threats and requests for an OTP or password.
3What should you do with a suspicious message?
Do not click or reply; show a trusted adult and report or delete it.
4Why did you use invented messages?
To avoid copying real brands or spreading real scams.
Take it further
Compare how well different age groups do and show the result in a chart.
Change one thing, measure what happens, and add a table or chart of your readings: that is what turns a model into your own investigation.
Free ebooks for this project
Computer & office
Safe UPI and Digital Payments
Pay and receive money online, and recognise the tricks fraudsters use
Computer & office
Computer Fundamentals Study Book
The complete study notes, practice questions and glossary for Computer Fundamentals