--- title: Chain messages, lures and scam messages — a lesson of Mova's school · trees and pragmatics description: «Chain messages, lures and scam messages», a lesson of the everyday course of Mova's primary school, sentence by sentence with dependency trees and pragmatics. It begins: A scam is a trick to take money, information or something else from you. --- [Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/) [home](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/) / [corpora](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/) / [school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/) / [Everyday](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/) / Chain messages, lures and scam messages # Chain messages, lures and scam messages Lesson 282 of the everyday course of Mova's primary school: 29 sentences, each with its syntax tree and pragmatics. The lessons are written for Mova, and their agreed trees are part of Mova corpus 0.4 (CC BY-SA 4.0). How Mova does on its tests: [the lesson at school](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/school-run/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/). - [0](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/0/) — A scam is a trick to take money, information or something else from you. - [1](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/1/) — Scammers copy real logos, pretend to be banks, parcel companies, the government, famous YouTubers or even your friends, and they almost always try to make you hurry or feel scared. - [2](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/2/) — Spot the signs: a link to «fix your account», a pop-up with a phone number, a request to pay with gift cards, a threat, or a push to move to a private app. - [3](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/3/) — Real businesses never ask to be paid with gift cards, real computers do not warn you through web pop-ups with phone numbers, and real officials do not demand money by surprise calls. - [5](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/5/) — I'll pay you back». - [6](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/6/) — She phones her friend, who says, «That wasn't me — my account was hacked!». - [7](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/7/) — The same tricks work in real life: a stranger offering sweets or a puppy to come with them is a known way to lure children. - [8](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/8/) — Never go anywhere with someone you do not know; run to a safe adult. - [9](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/9/) — If someone online threatens you, it is never your fault. - [10](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/10/) — Don't reply or send anything, and tell a trusted adult straight away; adults and the police can help. - [11](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/11/) — Always ask a parent before a «free trial» that wants a card number; free trials often turn into paid subscriptions. - [12](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/12/) — No company gives prizes for chain messages, so do not forward them. - [13](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/13/) — Chain messages that say something bad will happen if you don't forward them are tricks; nothing bad will happen. - [14](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/14/) — Never go anywhere with someone you do not know, even if they offer sweets or a puppy; run to a safe adult. - [15](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/15/) — Fake messages copy real logos to trick people into clicking (called phishing), so do not click their links; show an adult. - [16](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/16/) — Texts about a parcel that could not be delivered are a very common scam; adults check deliveries on the official site. - [17](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/17/) — If a pop-up says «Virus detected! - [18](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/18/) — Call this number», close the page, tell an adult and never call the number. - [19](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/19/) — Real businesses never ask to be paid with gift cards; scammers like them because they cannot be traced or refunded. - [20](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/20/) — If a friend's account asks for gift cards or money, talk to the friend another way, like in person or by phone. - [22](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/22/) — If someone online threatens to share something unless you send more, do not reply or send anything and tell a trusted adult at once; it is not your fault. - [24](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/24/) — Real officials do not demand money by surprise phone calls; give the phone to a parent. - [25](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/25/) — Scammers pretend to be famous YouTubers and footballers giving things away; check their real, official account and never send a fee. - [26](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/26/) — A QR code on an unknown poster can lead to a scam site, so ask an adult before scanning one. - [27](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/27/) — Families can agree a check question or code word to beat «Hi Mum, I've lost my phone» scams. - [28](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/28/) — A girl in Australia got a text about a parcel and clicked the link; it asked for her mum's card details, and the next day money had been taken. - [29](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/29/) — A boy in Ireland forwarded a chain message that said he would have bad luck if he did not; nothing happened to him, but his friends got scared and annoyed. - [30](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/30/) — Scam texts about parcels, prizes and unpaid bills trick many people every year into giving away card details. - [31](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/282-chain-messages-lures-and-scam-messages/31/) — Bad luck does not come from not forwarding a message; chain messages only spread worry. - ← previous: [Advert tricks and offers that are too good to be true](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/281-advert-tricks-and-too-good-offers/) - next →: [Staying safe online and checking what you see](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/283-safe-online-and-checking-what-you-see/) - ↑ back to [Everyday](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/)