Vodafone hosted a pop-up ‘Phish ‘N’ Tips’ Shop in central London, offering parents and children free, expert advice on spotting scams and staying safe online. The event follows recent research from Vodafone that revealed nearly one million (839,127) British children aged 11-16 have been scammed online in the last 12 months, with those aged 13 most likely to be affected.
Talking about online scams can be tough, so the ‘Phish ‘N’ Tips’ shop aimed to help address this by bringing together representatives from NSPCC, online harm expert and Psychotherapist, Catherine Knibbs, and experts from Vodafone to talk to families about online safety. It offered a safe space to drop in and receive free advice, all while enjoying delicious complementary fish and chips.
Comedian Axel Blake, who won Britain’s Got Talent in 2022, visited the ‘Phish ‘N’ Tips’ pop-up this morning and spoke with Catherine Knibbs about the types of scams his 16-year-old son should be mindful of when gaming online. Content creator and mum-of-three, Susie Verrill, also popped in for some lunch and a chat with the NSPCC specialists about how she could navigate online safety conversations as her young children grow up.
Families were also able to chat with Vodafone’s expert team about ways to keep their devices secure, learn about parental controls and explore Vodafone’s Secure Net, an all-in-one digital security service. The platform helps protect against fraud, viruses, and identity theft, while offering customisable filters to ensure that only age-appropriate content is accessible while browsing the internet.
For those unable to make it to the event today, Vodafone has also released a series of bitesize educational videos from Catherine Knibbs and NSPCC packed with top tips for parents and children on identifying and dealing with scams.
Vodafone’s study, which analysed the experiences of 2,000 parents and children (11-16), as well as over 4,800 teachers, revealed that eight in 10 (81%) parents believe scams have real life, long-lasting consequences noting their children’s behaviour changed after being scammed, including increased anxiety, depression and mood swings.
The research found the average financial loss associated with scams is £103 per young person, but the hidden emotional cost is much higher. A fifth (21%) of young people reported that the worst part about being scammed was feeling like they’d been tricked, with almost half (47%) feeling angry at themselves.
Fear of being scammed online also impacts those who have never fallen victim. For one in 10 (11%) young people, being scammed is their biggest online safety concern, while over three quarters (79%) said this fear causes them worry when they go online.
Finding the right resources is crucial for young victims as 60% admit they’re not sure where to turn to for help – a concern reflected by 40% of parents. With the study finding most parents (69%) want more support and guidance in speaking to their child about online safety, the importance of trusted advice and resources is clear.
Online harm expert, Catherine Knibbs, who is offering advice to parents and children at the ‘Phish ‘N’ Tips’ pop-up, said:
“Cyber-crime and scams are so prevalent amongst young people given their extensive presence on the platforms and vulnerabilities associated with being a young person. They are generally more trusting, so may not have the capacity or emotional regulation skills to understand whether something is fake, or potentially a scam. Vodafone’s study found that 60% of young people don’t know where to turn for help, which can result in the emotional turmoil of shame, ridicule and, in some cases, mental health problems like anxiety and depression. I’m proud to team up with Vodafone in their bid to make the internet safer by design and offer parents and kids tips and guidance around staying safe online.”
Nicki Lyons, Chief Corporate Affairs and Sustainability Officer, Vodafone UK, said: “The online world is part of everyday life, but young people can only make the most of this if they feel safe to do so. As our latest study shows, scams targeting young people on the platforms they use regularly are on the rise and becoming ever-more sophisticated. 2025 marks 15 years since we started working in the online safety space and it’s something that remains a core priority for us. I’m very proud of the work we do with our Digital Parenting Hub and alongside the NSPCC to support families as they navigate the online world together.”
In addition to its support in the online safety space, Vodafone UK is committed to protecting its customers from fraud. This includes proactively blocking phone numbers used by known scammers to send high volumes of calls and texts. The company currently blocks 1.7 million calls per day, and in 2024, Vodafone blocked more than 65 million suspected scam messages, all while ensuring that legitimate numbers were not blocked. As an industry, more than 1 billion suspected scam messages have been blocked since 2023.
Helen Westerman, Campaigns Manager, NSPCC said: “These findings paint a deeply concerning picture of how online scams are affecting young people’s wellbeing, with nearly a million children targeted in the past year alone. What’s particularly worrying is that 60% of young people don’t know where to turn for help, often leaving them to deal with both financial losses and emotional trauma in silence. The impact of these scams goes far beyond the immediate financial loss. We’re seeing children experience anxiety, depression, and withdrawal from activities they once enjoyed. This is why it’s crucial that parents and carers create an open dialogue about online safety with their children, ensuring young people feel they can come forward without fear of judgment if they’ve been targeted by scammers. At the NSPCC, we strongly support initiatives like Vodafone’s ‘Phish ‘N’ Tips’ that help families navigate these challenges together. We want every child to know they’re not alone, and there is always support available through our services like Childline with trained professionals who understand what they’re going through ready to help.”
Worryingly, online scams are becoming more common, with nearly half (49%) of young people who took part in the study stating they’ve been targeted by more spam content in the last 12 months than ever before. And with the rate increasing, 78% of parents are convinced that scammers are actively targeting their children and eight in 10 (87%) feel that tech platforms should be doing more to protect them.
Virtually every parent asked (99.7%) said it’s important to them for these platforms to have safety features to protect their kids, however just 18% of young people believe that the platforms do enough to keep them safe.
Anyone who wants to have their say, and help create a safer internet, can join Global Action Plan’s campaign urging MPs to show up for children’s safety and call for platforms to make their products safe by design: www.globalactionplan.org.uk/safer-internet.
If you or your child has been scammed online, you can report it to Action Fraud or call 0300 123 2040 (in England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or report it to Police Scotland by calling 101 (in Scotland). Any Vodafone customer can report suspicious texts by forwarding them to 7726.
Visit www.vodafone.co.uk/digitalparenting for more tools and resources, including Vodafone’s online safety toolkit, created in conjunction with NSPCC, which supports families to have online safety conversations and Vodafone’s free children’s eBook featuring new Fables for the digital age. Vodafone has also recently expanded its parental control resources, Digital Parenting Pro, to include emerging platforms such as Threads and Stars. These resources aim to help parents better understand the controls available, as well as educate them on the risks of scams and fraud.
The full survey findings can be accessed HERE.
