<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Nearly one-and-a-half million Australian children have fallen victim to scammers in the last two years, according to a new survey.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>One in five parents admitted their children had fallen victim to a scam in the last 12 months, with four per cent admitting their children had been scammed in the last two years, according to research by Finder.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Some kids were only protected by the intervention of adults, with 10 per cent of parents saying they were forced to step in and stop their children falling prey to scammers.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/south-east-queensland-total-fire-ban/d661fb00-173d-45d6-87eb-2893c95eb3fc" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Weather extremes leave 30,000 blacked out and now on bushfire alert</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Around 11 per cent of scams happened via technology, either over the phone or on social media and email, with nearly 10 per cent of scams against kids happening in person.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Scammers prey on children because they are less likely to spot the warning signs of a scam, and have not been fully educated on the risks.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Scammers are now going after minors, which is terrifying for parents," Sarah Megginson from Finder said.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/australia-children-scam/93f78227-0c1a-4e80-8688-750c3035b7a8" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Children don't necessarily have the experience to spot red flags, so they can be more vulnerable to falling for these tricks."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE: </span></strong><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/operation-trident-more-than-200-charges-laid-nsw-crime-crackdown/3493e902-94cf-481e-9cd6-86fed5bb5c47" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Hundreds of charges laid in two-day anti-crime blitz</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Megginson said it's crucial that parents educate their kids about the risks of scams, especially when they are being introduced to technology and social media for the first time.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Simple steps like setting up parental controls, monitoring their online activity, and teaching kids to be careful who they interact with online can go a long way in keeping them safe," she said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Just making them aware of how common scams are and sharing with them examples in the news can help make them more aware of the dangers."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f"><em><strong><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. Available on the</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727"><em><strong><span>Apple App Store</span></strong></em></a><span> </span><em><strong><span>and</span></strong></em><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1"><em><strong><span>Google Play</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>.</span></strong></em></div></div>