Warm-up (30 seconds): Think of the last time you got an email, text, or social media message that seemed suspicious. What made you think 'this doesn't feel right'?

This lesson builds your Research Page for your Digital Portfolio — the second page after your Project Brief from Lesson 1.

Phishing Red Flags

• Urgent language: 'Act now or lose access!' 'Your account will be suspended!'
• Unexpected attachments: Especially .exe, .zip, .js files from unknown senders
• Generic greetings: 'Dear Customer' instead of your name
• Suspicious links: Shortened URLs like bit.ly can hide real destinations — check sender reputation first
• Requests for personal info: Passwords, PPS numbers, bank details

Common Scams in Ireland

• Revenue/HSE impersonation: Fake tax refund or medical card emails
• Bank alerts: 'Unusual activity — verify here'
• Job scams: 'Work from home, get paid in Bitcoin'
• SMS phishing (smishing): 'Your Leap Card needs verification — reply YES'

Malware Risks

• Never respond to: 'Free Netflix login', 'Your phone is infected — download this fix'
• Password rules:
• Use 14+ character passphrases (e.g. 'correct horse battery staple')
• Make them unique per site (use a password manager)
• Enable 2FA/MFA wherever available
• Change a password only if you suspect it has been compromised

Irish Digital Age of Consent

16 years old under Ireland's Data Protection Act. Websites collecting your data generally need parental consent if you're under 16. Platforms often suspend or delete underage accounts if reported.

Reporting Pathways

• Webwise.ie: Ireland's internet safety centre for young people
• Garda.ie: Report cybercrime to your local station
• Platform report buttons: Every social media/email app has 'Report abuse'

A fully worked model example for the first scam (row 2) is provided in the steps below. Copy the two additional examples into column A (rows 3-4), then complete columns B-D for those rows using the model as your guide. This teaches you to spot red flags using 3 common Irish examples.

Success criteria: Create a new document called 'ResearchPage_Lesson27.docx' in your Digital Portfolio folder. Include:

• Title: 'Safety Research for [Your Something Real Project Name]'
• 5 facts relevant to keeping your project safe online (phishing, scams, passwords, age rules, reporting)
• For each fact: One sentence fact + one sentence 'Why I trust this source' + source type (website/gov.ie/app)
• Example: 'Never click links in texts about Leap Card problems. I know this because official Leap Card site warns about smishing. Source: leapcard.ie'

Pro tip: Think about YOUR project — selling tickets online? Contacting sponsors by email? Sharing photos? Each creates specific risks.

Common Issues

• Issue: Can't think of 5 facts
  Solution: Use lesson content above — pick phishing, passwords, age consent, reporting, malware. You've got this!
• Issue: Not sure what file goes where
  Solution: Both 'ScamAnalysis' AND 'ResearchPage' docs go in your Digital Portfolio folder
• Issue: Table won't size properly
  Solution: Drag table edges to resize — content matters more than perfect fit