The Academy · Free · Short animated lessons

Learn to spot online scams — one short lesson at a time.

Each lesson is about two minutes: the same scam shown for a teen, a parent, and a grandparent — three tells, the one move, then a quick “real or scam?” drill. Press play — sound on.

🛡️ No ads · we never sell your data · made with AI, and honest about it ↓
The Library

Ten scams. One skill that beats all of them.

Every common scam, one short lesson each — built to watch and share across your whole family. Jump to the one you need; each ends with a scored drill so you can test your eye.

📞~2 min · Voice cloning

The Voice on the Phone

A cloned voice — a “grandkid,” a “battle buddy,” a “boss” — calls in a panic and needs money right now.

▶ Watch & take the drill →
🔐~2 min · Phishing

The Account That Isn’t

A text says your account is locked. The link is almost right — and the login page just steals your password.

▶ Watch & take the drill →
💬~2 min · Romance / “pig-butchering”

The Fast Friend

A warm new friend or match who moves fast — then needs money, or has a “can’t-miss” crypto tip.

▶ Watch & take the drill →
🎁~2 min · Prizes & refunds

Too Good to Be Real

A prize, a refund, a giveaway you never entered — that only needs a small “fee” or your card to release.

▶ Watch & take the drill →
🖥️~2 min · Tech support

The Fake Fix

A scary “virus” popup or a call from “support” that wants remote access to your device.

▶ Watch & take the drill →
🫂~3 min · Mental health & resilience

The Weight We Carry

How to notice when someone you love — or you — is carrying too much, and the calm way to reach out. Awareness, not diagnosis.

▶ Watch the check-in →
🚨~3 min · First-responder wellbeing

The Same Courage, Turned Inward

The signs a crewmate might show after too many bad calls — and the confidential lines answered by people who’ve worn the boots. Awareness, not diagnosis.

▶ Watch the check-in →
📵~3 min · Cyberbullying & sextortion

The Screenshot That Won’t Delete

The DM that turns friendly into a threat — the tells, the one calm move, and the free help that stops it. For teens and the families who’ve got their back.

▶ Watch & take the drill →
💳~3 min · Medicare fraud

The Card They Want

The calls that want your Medicare number — free braces, free tests, “your card is expiring.” Learn the three tells and hang up.

▶ Watch & take the drill →
🔳~2 min · Quishing

The QR Trap

A QR code on a parking meter, a flyer, or an email — that sends you to a look-alike page to log in or pay.

▶ Watch & take the drill →
🪞~2 min · Deepfakes

The Deepfake

AI-generated images, video, or threats used to pressure or extort — and how to shut it down safely.

▶ Watch & take the drill →
💼~2 min · Job scams

The Job That Pays Upfront

A too-easy job that pays before you work — then asks you to buy gear or “process” a check.

▶ Watch & take the drill →
🛒~2 min · Marketplace / Zelle

The Marketplace Shuffle

A buyer or seller who insists on Zelle, sends an “overpayment,” or wants a code to “verify” you.

▶ Watch & take the drill →
🏛️~2 min · Government impersonation

The Impersonator

The “IRS,” “Social Security,” “police,” or “Medicare” calling with threats and demands for payment.

▶ Watch & take the drill →
The original pilot

The teen pilot series

The first three lessons — a little longer, made for grades 9–12.

How it works

Every scam uses the same three tells

Learn these three and you’ll spot the trick no matter what costume it’s wearing.

⏱️

It rushes you

A countdown, a threat, “act now.” Real companies never put a timer on your panic.

🔗

Something’s almost right

A link, a handle, or a name that’s off by a character or two. Look slowly and it shows.

🔑

It wants your login or money

Your password on their page, a “fee” to get a prize, or your one-time code. That’s the trap.

Honest by design

What we collect — and why our lessons are made with AI

No fine print, no dark patterns. Here’s exactly how Guardian Academy works.

🔒

Your account & your data

Browsing the library is open to everyone. To watch a lesson and save your progress, you create a free Guardian account — your name and email, plus an authenticator app for secure sign-in. That’s all we ask for.

We show no ads, we never sell or rent your information, and we never profile children. You can ask us to delete your account any time.

Read our privacy commitment →

Made with AI — on purpose, and for good

These lessons are created with AI and reviewed by real people before they ship. That’s how a small security team can give away current, high-quality lessons for free — and refresh them as fast as the scams change.

Every lesson carries a “Made with AI · reviewed by people” label. We believe AI should be used to protect people, not trick them — the same technology the scammers abuse, turned to defend you.

How we use AI →

Ready? It only takes two minutes.

Start with “The Voice on the Phone,” then see how many scams you can spot in the drill.

Secured by IA