Course Catalog / BMU 050 / Course project

Course project

Spot the Scam: Online Safety for Real Life. Do this after Lesson 5. About 30 to 45 minutes.

This is where you show you can do what the course promised. Build your project in the builder below. The site checks each rubric row and tells you what to fix. Your certificate needs this step and a passed Posttest.

Capstone materials: the 10 practice messages

All are made up. Sort each one: scam, check first, or likely safe. Write a reason. Then open the answers.

"Your toll bill is past due. Pay $6.99 now at [link] or pay a fine."
"It's Grandma's new number. Can you send $200 by app? I'll explain later."
"Your library book is due Friday." (You borrowed one.)
"IRS: you owe back taxes. Pay with gift cards today to avoid arrest."
"Your bank: did you try to spend $500? Reply YES or NO."
"Congrats! You won a cruise. Pay the $99 port fee to claim."
"Work from home! Get packages, repack them, and ship them on. $3,000 a month."
"We sent you a code. Read it to me so we can verify you." (a caller)
"Your pharmacy order is ready for pickup." (You ordered it.)
"Your streaming plan did not renew. See details at [link]."

Check your sorting: answers

Scam. It asks you to pay through a link, out of the blue. The FTC says these toll texts are probably scams. If you think you owe a toll, check on the toll agency's site you type in.
Scam. Money by app from a new number. Call Grandma's saved number.
Likely safe. Expected, no link needed, asks for nothing.
Scam. Gift cards and arrest threats. The IRS does not do this.
Check first. May be real, but call the number on your card to check.
Scam. A prize that costs money.
Scam. Reshipping is never a real job.
Scam. No real company asks for your code.
Likely safe. Expected and asks for nothing.
Check first. A problem and a link, but no request yet. Open the app yourself to check. If the link asks for your card, that is a scam sign.

Capstone rubric

The site checks each part. A row passes when your work matches Ready. You need all five rows.

Criterion	Not yet	Getting there	Ready
Sort the 10 messages	Fewer than 6 right.	6 or 7 right.	8 or more right, with a reason for each.
Lock one account	Not done.	New passphrase, no two step.	Passphrase and two step login on email, backup codes at home.
Trusted contacts	No list.	List with one or two numbers.	Bank, phone company, two family members, and report sites on one list.
First hour plan	No plan.	Some steps, no report links.	All six steps with ReportFraud.ftc.gov and IdentityTheft.gov.
Shared	Not shared.	Shared but not talked about.	Shared with a family member, who knows the safe word.

Compare your capstone: example answers

These are made up examples. Compare your work row by row.

A strong example

Sort: 9 of 10 right, each with a reason, like Scam: asks for a gift card.
Lock: new passphrase on email, two step login on, backup codes at home.
Trusted contacts: bank, phone company, two family members, and report sites.
First hour plan: all six steps with ReportFraud.ftc.gov and IdentityTheft.gov.
Shared: talked it over with my sister, and we chose a safe word.

A weak example, with feedback

Weak: Sort: 7 right, no reasons. Why and how to fix: Write a reason for each sort. The reason is how you will spot the next one.
Weak: Contacts: my bank account number and PIN. Why and how to fix: Never write account numbers or PINs. Write the company name and phone number only.
Weak: Plan: call the police. Why and how to fix: Start with the company you paid, then lock accounts, save proof, and report at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

Fix it and try again

For each row that says Not yet, read the feedback above, go back to the lesson for that part, and fix it. Then press Check my project again. You can do this as many times as you want.

End of course self check

Mark how sure you feel about each goal. This is not a grade, and it does not change your certificate.

I can...	1 = not yet, 2 = with notes, 3 = on my own
Name the signs of a scam.	1 2 3
Sort messages as scam, check first, or likely safe.	1 2 3
Make a passphrase and turn on two step login.	1 2 3
Check a contact with a number or site I trust.	1 2 3
Know what to do in the first hour and where to report.	1 2 3

Build your course project

Build your project here, step by step. When you are ready, press Check my project. The site checks each rubric row for you and tells you exactly what to fix. Fix it and check again as many times as you need. When every row passes, your project is complete, and you can download or print it.

Your answers save in this browser as you type. Nothing is sent to BMU. Files you upload stay on your device; the site only reads their name, type, size, and length. The checks test what a page can test: the parts, the math, and your choices. They cannot see what you do offline, so do the real steps too.

Sort the 10 practice messages

Message 1: "Your toll bill is past due. Pay $6.99 now at [link] or pay a fine."

Your reason for message 1

Message 2: "It's Grandma's new number. Can you send $200 by app? I'll explain later."

Your reason for message 2

Message 3: "Your library book is due Friday." (You borrowed one.)

Your reason for message 3

Message 4: "IRS: you owe back taxes. Pay with gift cards today to avoid arrest."

Your reason for message 4

Message 5: "Your bank: did you try to spend $500? Reply YES or NO."

Your reason for message 5

Message 6: "Congrats! You won a cruise. Pay the $99 port fee to claim."

Your reason for message 6

Message 7: "Work from home! Get packages, repack them, and ship them on. $3,000 a month."

Your reason for message 7

Message 8: "We sent you a code. Read it to me so we can verify you." (a caller)

Your reason for message 8

Message 9: "Your pharmacy order is ready for pickup." (You ordered it.)

Your reason for message 9

Message 10: "Your streaming plan did not renew. See details at [link]."

Your reason for message 10

Lock one account

The account you locked first

Which is the strongest passphrase?

Where do you keep backup codes?

You turned on two step login. Someone calls and asks for the code. What do you do?

Trusted contacts

Who to call, with numbers you looked up yourself

Your bank, your phone company, and two people you trust.

Who	Phone or website

Where to report fraud

Where to report identity theft

First hour plan

Put the six steps in order.

Step 1

Step 2

Step 3

Step 4

Step 5

Step 6

Shared with family

Show your plan to someone you trust. Then hand them this device. They answer these three questions without help.

Their first name

Someone calls in a panic and says it is me. They need money now. What do you do first?

What is our safe word for?

Where do we report a scam?

Rubric rows

Sort the 10 messages: Not checked yet
Lock one account: Not checked yet
Trusted contacts: Not checked yet
First hour plan: Not checked yet
Shared: Not checked yet

Your finished project

Next up

Take the Posttest if you have not yet. When both are done, get your Certificate of Completion. It says you passed its Posttest and completed the course project.