Who it’s for and what people take away
Adults who want simple, reliable habits for checking what they read about local services and for spotting messages that pretend to come from government.
By the end, people can:
- find the official source for a public notice, service or deadline
- check a claim by reading laterally: leaving the page to find out who is behind it and what other sources say
- recognize common signs of a scam that imitates a government agency
- say where to report a suspected government impersonation scam in their country
Before the session
- Book a room with a screen and an internet connection, and test the slides before people arrive.
- Print one worksheet per person and one set of the six claim cards from the activity steps for each group.
- Print the handout with the country block for where you are teaching (United States, United Kingdom, Canada or Australia).
- Before the session, find your local government’s official website and your official election office’s website so you can show them on screen.
- Check that the room has Wi-Fi or that some people have phones; groups need one device to check claims. Groups without a device can work from the clues on the cards.
- Read the careful notes. Never open a real suspicious link or message in the session.
You will need
- Projector or large screen
- Printed claim cards, one set per group
- Printed worksheets and handouts with the right country block, one per person
- At least one phone, tablet or computer per group, if available
- Pens
Run sheet
60 minutes. Slide numbers refer to the deck.
Session timings| Starts | Length | What happens |
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| 0:00 | 5 min | Welcome and ground rulesSlides 1–2Welcome people and set the ground rules: the session is nonpartisan, it is not about what anyone should think, and nobody should open real suspicious messages or share personal details.Say: “Today is about finding out what is actually happening, and spotting messages that only pretend to be official.” |
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| 0:05 | 8 min | Go to the sourceSlides 3–5Explain what counts as an official source: agendas, minutes, budgets, notices and official websites. Show how official government web addresses work and point to the country block. |
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| 0:13 | 8 min | Check the claim: read laterallySlides 6–7Demonstrate lateral reading on screen with a neutral example, such as a post saying the library will close on Mondays: open a new tab, look up who published it, find the original notice, and see what other reliable sources say. |
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| 0:21 | 8 min | Scams that imitate governmentSlides 8–9Go through the common warning signs: pressure, threats, unexpected contact, requests for personal details, payment by gift card or cryptocurrency, and links in messages. Explain how to check by contacting the agency directly. |
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| 0:29 | 20 min | Activity: real, unclear or scam?Slides 10–11Groups sort the six claim cards into real, unclear or scam, and write how they would check each one. Leave five minutes for the debrief.Say: “The cards are made up. The point is the checking, not getting every answer right.” |
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| 0:49 | 6 min | Report it, questions and closeSlides 12–13Point to the reporting routes on the handout, take questions, ask people to tick one next step on the worksheet, collect feedback, and thank the host. |
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| 0:55 | 5 min | Buffer for questionsSlides 13Use this time for further questions or to help people find their local government and election office websites on their own devices, without signing in to any account. |
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Real, unclear or scam?
20 minutes, using the worksheet.
- Put people in groups of three or four and give each group the six claim cards. All are made up.
- Card 1: A screenshot shared in a neighborhood group says the public library will close every Monday from next month. No link or date is shown.
- Card 2: A text message says you are owed a tax refund and must click a link today to claim it.
- Card 3: A letter on council letterhead says a road will be closed for repairs next week, and gives the council’s main phone number for questions.
- Card 4: An email from an address ending in a commercial domain says your parking fine is overdue and you will be arrested unless you pay by gift card.
- Card 5: A post says the polling place for your area has moved, with no source.
- Card 6: A caller says they are from a government benefits office and asks you to confirm your bank details to keep your payments.
- Groups sort each card into real, unclear or scam, and write how they would check it: which official website, phone number or office they would use, found independently, not from the message.
- Groups with a device can look up the official website for their local government or election office, without signing in or clicking any link from a card.
- Debrief together for the last five minutes.
Questions for the room afterwards
- Which cards were scams, and what gave them away?
- Which cards were unclear, and how would you check them?
- For the polling place card, where is the only place to check?
- Why should you find a phone number yourself rather than use the one in the message?
- What would you tell a friend who has already replied to a message like card 6?
Take care
General information, never advice about one person’s situation, and nothing to sell.
- Never open, click or forward a real suspicious link, attachment or QR code in the session, and don’t ask anyone to show their own messages or accounts.
- Use only the made-up, neutral claim cards. Don’t use real political claims, current controversies, parties, candidates or campaigns as examples, and don’t label any news outlet as trustworthy or not.
- Answer voting questions by pointing to the official election office, not from memory.
- If someone says they have lost money or shared details, don’t investigate their case. Point them to the official reporting routes on the handout and their bank.
- Don’t recommend any commercial app, browser tool or fact-checking company; teach the habits and point to official sources.
Questions people ask
How do I know a website is really from the government?
Many countries use a dedicated government web address, and the country handout explains yours. Type the address yourself or use a search on the main government portal, rather than following a link in a message.
What should I do if I already clicked a link or shared details?
Stop replying, contact your bank if you shared bank details, and report it using the official routes on the country handout. Contact the real agency using contact details you found yourself.
Do government agencies ever text or call?
Some do, for specific reasons. Check what the agency says about how it contacts people on its official website, and if in doubt, contact it directly using details you found yourself.
How do I check something I saw about an election?
Go to your official election office. Where and when to vote, and how, come from the electoral authority where you live, not from a post, message or call.
Is it wrong to share something I’m not sure about?
If you can’t check it, it is safer not to share it. Look for the original source first, and see whether other reliable sources say the same thing.
Where you are teaching
The rules differ by country. Teach the shared material from the slides, then use the block for the country you are in, and hand out that country’s sheet.
United States
- Official websites. A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States. .gov is the top-level domain for U.S. governments, and governments at all levels, including cities and counties, are eligible for one.
- Government imposter scams. Unless you contact them first, government agencies typically start contact with you by letter. Imposters may call, text, email or come to your door, and may fake caller ID to look like an official number.
- Where to report. USAGov has a tool that helps you find the right agency to report a scam. Imposter scams can be reported online to the Federal Trade Commission, and tax-related imposter scams to the Internal Revenue Service.
- Voting information. Your state or local election office helps with registering, voting and election results. USAGov lists them by state and territory.
United Kingdom
- Official websites. Most public sector organisations must use a .gov.uk or other government domain for their websites, emails and services. To find an official service or phone number, search on GOV.UK rather than using a look-alike site.
- Report suspicious messages. Forward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk, where the National Cyber Security Centre will investigate, and suspicious texts to 7726, which is free.
- HMRC scams. HMRC says it could be a scam if a contact rushes you, is threatening or unexpected, asks for bank details, tells you to transfer money, or offers a refund. HMRC will never threaten arrest or ask you to pay with gift or payment vouchers. Suspicious HMRC texts can be sent to 60599 or emailed to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk.
- If you lost money. In England and Wales, contact Report Fraud, the service formerly called Action Fraud, online or on 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, report it to Police Scotland.
Canada
- Official websites. Check government programs and services on official Government of Canada websites: look for addresses that begin with canada.ca or end with .gc.ca.
- Signs of a scam. It may be a scam if someone demands immediate payment, uses threatening language, sends a link to click, asks for personal or financial information, or asks for payment by cryptocurrency or gift cards. If unsure, contact the department or agency directly.
- Calls claiming to be the CRA. Don’t trust the number on caller ID or share personal information with the caller. Ask for their name, office and callback number, end the call, and confirm the number with the CRA’s verify tool before calling back.
- Where to report. Report all scams or fraud to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre, even if you were not a victim, and forward suspicious texts to 7726 (SPAM).
Australia
- myGov scams. myGov will only ask you to sign in through the official app or by typing my.gov.au into your browser, and will never ask you to reply with your personal information or sign-in details. Scams may send a link or attachment, ask for codes or bank details, ask for money, or push you to act urgently.
- Report a myGov scam. Email suspected myGov scams to reportascam@servicesaustralia.gov.au. myGov also points to the Scamwatch website for how to spot and avoid scams.
- Election information. The Australian Electoral Commission’s Stop and Consider guidance says to check the content and the source of what you see about the electoral process, and if unsure, not to share it. Warning signs include urgency, no clear source, old content and voting details without authorisation.