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A message pops up on your child's phone from a number nobody recognises. Sometimes it's a wrong number. Sometimes it's a scam, and sometimes it's an adult trying to start a conversation they shouldn't. Your child doesn't need to tell which. They need a routine they can follow without panicking, and a parent who stays calm when they bring it to you.
What should a child do when an unknown number messages them?
Teach four steps, in this order:
Don't reply. Not even "who is this?" A reply tells the sender the number is active and that someone is reading.
Save. Take screenshots before doing anything else (see the checklist below).
Block and report the number inside the app, so the messages stop.
Tell a parent or another trusted adult the same day.
The last step matters most. Many children stay quiet because they're afraid of losing the phone. Say out loud, in advance, that telling you will never be the reason the phone is taken away.
Which messages should worry you?
One "hi, wrong number" is not an emergency. Bring it to an adult anyway if the message:
asks for photos, especially of their body or face
asks them to keep the chat secret, or to move to another app
says "I know you from school" or "your friend gave me your number" with no name you can check
offers money, game credits, a prize or a job
asks for an OTP, a password, a school ID or a home address
contains a link they didn't ask for
threatens them, or threatens to share something about them
How do you save evidence before blocking?
Blocking stops the messages, but the police will want to see what was sent. Before blocking, sit with your child and do this together:
Screenshot the whole chat, scrolling up to the first message. Make sure the sender's full number is visible.
Capture the date and time of each message, and the sender's profile name and photo.
Don't tap links. Copy the link text into a note instead.
Write a short log: the date, the app, the number, and a one-line summary of what happened.
Keep the screenshots in a folder, and keep the chat itself too, unless the app removes it when you report.
If the chat contains a sexual image of a child, do not forward it, re-share it or send copies to anyone, including other parents or the school group. Tell the police it is there and let them collect it.
When should you report to the cyber crime portal?
Match the message to the right place:
Promotional spam (sales calls, ads): block it. India's telecom rules let you register a complaint against unwanted commercial messages by sending an SMS to or calling 1909, according to a Department of Telecommunications reply in the Rajya Sabha.
A suspected fraud with no loss (fake KYC update, fake prize, someone pretending to be an official): report it on the Chakshu facility of the Sanchar Saathi portal. The Department of Telecommunications says it acts on the mobile connections, handsets and WhatsApp accounts reported there.
Threats, sexual messages, requests for photos, blackmail, someone pushing to meet, or money already lost: report it on the National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal or call 1930.
The National Cyber Crime Reporting Portal (cybercrime.gov.in) lets the public report all types of cyber crime, with special focus on crimes against women and children, according to a Ministry of Women and Child Development reply in the Rajya Sabha. The portal is part of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre set up by the Ministry of Home Affairs. The same reply says the toll-free helpline 1930 operates 24x7, and that complaints, including their conversion into FIRs, are handled by the police of the state or union territory concerned. You can also walk into your local police station with your screenshots.
If your child may be in immediate danger, call the police straight away rather than filing online.
What do you say to your child?
Your tone in the first minute decides whether they tell you next time. Try:
"Thank you for showing me. You did exactly the right thing."
"You're not in trouble. The person who sent this is the one doing something wrong."
"Let's save it together, then block them."
For a teenager: "I won't read your other chats. I just need this one to report it."
For a longer conversation about online safety, see our guide to having the cyber safety talk with a ten-year-old. For a teenager, think about how much privacy to give them.
If your child is still frightened, can't sleep or keeps worrying days later, talk to their school counsellor or call Tele MANAS on 14416, the government's toll-free 24x7 tele-mental health counselling line.
When things settle and it's time to get back to homework, Fermi's AI tutor can work out what your child already knows and build a plan for the session, so the evening doesn't start from a blank page.
