How the free scam practice works
The End Scams Project is free, interactive scam awareness practice for older adults: four short, made-up stories where you spot scam texts, phone calls, and computer pop-ups on a simulated phone and computer, then choose what to do. It is calm, guided practice — not a test. In each story, a friend or neighbor gets a message or call that does not feel right, and you help them slow down, check the request, and choose a safer next step.
The practice, step by step
1. Start Story 1 straight away
There is no account to create and nothing to fill in first. The first story opens as soon as you start, with a short note on how the stories work.
2. Meet the friend or neighbor you are helping
Each story begins with a few plain sentences about who needs a hand and what has happened so far: Rosa has a text about a package, Frank has a warning on his computer, Linda has a call from someone who says he is from her bank, and Nadia has a text from someone who says he is her son. The scam is aimed at them, never at you. You are the one helping.
3. Make two choices in each story
Each story asks you what to do twice: once when the message or call first arrives, and again at the next moment where people often get caught. In between, you do the safe step yourself on the example phone or computer, such as hanging up on the caller. There is no timer, so take all the time you need.
4. See what each choice leads to
After every answer, the story shows what would happen next and why the safest choice works. If you picked something else, it shows what to do instead. There is no score and no answer that fails a story: you always carry on to the end, where a short list sums up what to do if this ever happens to you.
5. Answer three optional questions, or skip them
After the fourth story, three short questions ask which country you are in, a broad age range, and whether a scam or fraud has ever caused you to lose money. They help us see who the practice is reaching. Each one offers “Prefer not to answer” and can be skipped, and no name, contact details, exact age, state, or loss amount is asked.
6. Get your certificate
Whether you answer the questions or skip them, your optional Certificate of Completion is ready right away to download or print, and you can share it on Facebook or LinkedIn. A single feedback question beneath it is optional.
A calm practice space
There are no timers, no rankings, and no shaming. Mistakes are part of practice. Everything you see is fictional — no message, phone call, website, or payment request shown here is real.