**Cybercriminals Speak the Language Young People Trust**

In today's digital age, where screens dominate our lives, young people are increasingly being lured into a world of cybercrime. Criminal groups are actively recruiting, training, and retaining minors in structured ways, exploiting their vulnerabilities and lack of judgment.

The lure of online activity is often tied to attention, belonging, and a sense of worth. Children growing up with unstable family situations, exposure to crime, or limited support are more susceptible to recruitment. Mental health issues, weak social skills, and early involvement in minor offenses can also raise vulnerability.

According to experts, minors are easier to influence and exploit, and they tend to draw less attention from law enforcement. Youth justice systems handle them differently, which lowers the consequences they face. This creates distance between the crime itself and the people running the operation, making it harder for authorities to track and prosecute leaders.

Recruitment usually happens online, through popular social media apps like TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat. Encrypted messaging and privacy controls allow these groups to set up anonymous channels with little risk of being spotted. Messages can disappear, chat histories can be wiped, and access can be limited to approved members.

Cybercriminals speak in language that feels familiar, using coded messages and turning tasks into games. They show off money and status to make the lifestyle look attractive, often using social media platforms to promote their activities. Parents today juggle work and daily responsibilities, leaving gaps where guidance used to be. For young people who feel bored, isolated, or short on cash, this can be enough to draw them in.

Children as young as seven are getting pulled into cybercrime in the UK, with gaming spaces, online communities, and simple how-to videos making it easy for them to stumble into these activities. What once sat on the edges of the internet appears in places kids use every day, including Discord, which plays a key role in recruiting young people.

Discord's private servers let recruiters control access, assign roles, and move young users from casual chats into restricted channels where tools and tasks are shared. Former cybercriminals say many young recruits do not understand they are breaking the law when they first get involved, with early tasks feeling small and low-risk.

As these young people become more entrenched in cybercrime, they may move on to more serious offenses like identity theft, financial fraud, or even participate in high-profile attacks. A case in point is the Scattered Spider group, which was linked to a cyberattack that disrupted multiple Las Vegas Strip casinos.

In some cases, recruitment starts with fake job ads posted online, promising easy money and flexible hours with pay in cryptocurrency. Teens are often given risky roles like making social engineering calls while more experienced criminals stay behind the scenes. A group of young hackers has claimed responsibility for the attacks on Co-op and Marks & Spencer.

The issue is not that young people are learning cybersecurity and hacking skills; many of these skills are useful and worth learning. The problem is that they often learn them without guidance, then decide on their own how to use them. Legal paths rarely offer the same attention or rewards, making it appealing for young people to gain status, praise, and money online through hacking.

Keren Elazari, an internationally recognized security analyst, author, and researcher, emphasizes that treating these young people only as offenders misses the point. Better outcomes often come from giving them structured ways to use their skills, such as coding challenges, ethical hacking programs, or security competitions.

Parents and caregivers need to pay attention to the difference between healthy interest and early signs that online activity is drifting into cybercrime. By recognizing these warning signs and offering guidance, we can steer young people towards legal and productive paths, ensuring they use their skills for good rather than harm.

**What Can You Do?**

* Pay attention to your child's online behavior * Guide them in learning cybersecurity and hacking skills through structured programs * Encourage healthy interest in technology by providing resources and support * Recognize early signs of cybercrime involvement and take action

By working together, we can help young people develop their skills for the good of society, rather than allowing them to fall prey to the allure of cybercrime.