← ACARA Digital Technologies Years 5–6

Messages that ask for your passphrase

A real company, teacher or friend will never ask for your passphrase in a message. If one does, it is a trick. Do not reply. Tell an adult.

Part of: ACARA Digital Technologies Years 5–6 — Staying Safe Online — Module 25, ACARA Digital Technologies Years 5–6 — Digital Footprints — Module 35

Understanding Messages that ask for your passphrase in ACARA Digital Technologies Years 5–6

What it does: Any message that asks for your passphrase is a trick, no matter who it says it is from. The safe plan is to say nothing back to the message and show it to an adult you trust, who can help check it and report it. Fake login pages copy the look of real ones. Do not type your passphrase. Close the page and tell an adult. Replying can lead to more tricks. Do not reply and tell a trusted adult straight away.

Common mistakes: A message that asks for your passphrase is always a trick, so isTrick should be TRUE, not FALSE. Tricky messages can look very real. The check must be whether the message wants your passphrase: IF msg wants passphrase THEN.

Class: _____________________ · Name: _____________________ · Date: _________

Free printable worksheet with full answer key — or add this module to a class and your students practise it interactively.

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This module's key terms are also in a printable crossword (Modules 157–173) and word search (Modules 137–225).

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Learning

Duo

A message says: 'Your account will close today! Reply with your passphrase to keep it.' What should you do?

Do not reply and tell an adultReply fast with your passphrase

Matches

Message: 'Your account will close.' Reply: 'My passphrase is blue-frog-kite-moon.'

↓

Sending your passphrase in a reply gives it to the scammer. Never reply with it.

Applying

Meanings

Term

Never send your passphrase

Meaning

A real company, teacher or friend will never ask for your passphrase in a message. If one does, it is a trick. Do not reply. Tell an adult.

Practice

IF message asks for my passphrase THEN

Testing

Gaps

IF message asks for THEN

Check Answer

Spots

1msg ← "Send your passphrase"

2isTrick ← FALSE

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Quick Questions

1. A message says: 'Your account will close today! Reply with your passphrase to keep it.' What should you do?

A. Reply fast with your passphrase

B. Do not reply and tell an adult ✓

Real companies never ask for your passphrase in a message. Messages that rush you are tricks, so do not reply and tell an adult.

2. Which statement is true?

A. A real company will never ask you to send your passphrase in a message ✓

B. A real company may ask for your passphrase if the message looks official

Even a message with a logo can be fake. Real companies never ask for your passphrase in a message.

3. A message from a 'teacher' you do not recognise asks you to text your passphrase so they can fix your login. What is it?

A. A helpful request

B. A trick ✓

Teachers will never ask you to send your passphrase in a message. Do not reply and tell an adult.

4. A friend's account messages you: 'Send me your passphrase so I can borrow your game.' What is the safest choice?

A. Keep your passphrase private and tell an adult ✓

B. Send it because they are your friend

A friend would never need your passphrase in a message. Their account may have been hacked, so tell an adult.

5. You click a link and see a page that looks like your game login, but the message that sent you there said to act now. What could this be?

A. A fake login page that steals your passphrase ✓

B. A safe page because it looks the same

Fake login pages copy the look of real ones. Do not type your passphrase. Close the page and tell an adult.

Match the Pairs

Your account will close! Send your passphrase now. → A fake scare message that tries to rush you into giving away your passphrase

Please log in at fr33-gamezone-login.com → A link to a fake login page that tries to steal your username and passphrase

A real company, teacher or friend will never ask you to send your passphrase in a message → if message asks for passphrase then it is a trick

What to do instead: do not reply and tell a trusted adult → do not reply; tell an adult

Message: 'Your account will close.' Reply: 'My passphrase is blue-frog-kite-moon.' → Sending your passphrase in a reply gives it to the scammer. Never reply with it.

Message from 'teacher': 'Send me your passphrase.' Plan: 'It is a teacher, so I will send it.' → A real teacher will never ask for your passphrase in a message, so it is still a trick.

Key Term

Never send your passphrase

A real company, teacher or friend will never ask for your passphrase in a message. If one does, it is a trick. Do not reply. Tell an adult.

Fill in the Blanks

1. IF message asks for passphrase THEN SAY "It is a trick" END IF

Hint: Type the secret word that a real company, teacher or friend will never ask you to send.

2. IF message asks for passphrase THEN tellAdult() END IF

Hint: Type the function name for the safe action of getting a trusted grown-up to help.

3. IF message says account will close THEN SAY "It is a trick" END IF

Hint: Type the command that shows a message on the screen.

4. IF login page asks for passphrase THEN tellAdult() END IF

Hint: Type the keyword that comes after the condition and starts the action to run.

5. IF message asks for passphrase THEN tellAdult() END IF

Hint: Type the keyword that finishes the decision block, along with IF.

Spot the Error

Question 1

A msg ← "Send your passphrase"

B isTrick ← FALSE

C IF isTrick THEN

D DISPLAY "Do not reply"

Line B — A message that asks for your passphrase is always a trick, so isTrick should be TRUE, not FALSE.

Question 2

A msg ← "Account will close!"

B IF msg looks real THEN

C DISPLAY "It is a trick"

D DISPLAY "Tell an adult"

Line B — Tricky messages can look very real. The check must be whether the message wants your passphrase: IF msg wants passphrase THEN.

Question 3

A page ← "Login from a message"

B IF page has a logo THEN

C DISPLAY "Do not type it"

D DISPLAY "Tell an adult"

Line B — Fake login pages can copy a real logo. A logo does not make a page safe. The check should be whether the page wants your passphrase.

Question 4

A msg ← "Reply with passphrase"

B IF msg wants passphrase THEN

C SEND passphrase TO sender

D DISPLAY "Tell an adult"

Line C — You must never send your passphrase to someone who asks for it in a message. The line should be DISPLAY "Do not reply".

Question 5

A canSend ← TRUE

B IF canSend THEN SEND it

C ELSE DISPLAY "Do not reply"

D DISPLAY "Tell an adult"

Line A — It is never safe to send your passphrase in a message. canSend should be FALSE so the program does not send it.

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