Innocence Lost: A Boy’s First Encounter with Cyber Fraud

In a quiet town lived a boy who was as innocent as the morning sun. His world was small but safe, filled with schoolbooks, cartoons, and the warm comfort of his parents' trust. Unlike many of his classmates, he didn’t own a smartphone. His parents believed it might distract him from his studies. But wanting to support his curiosity and learning, they gave him a computer—a simple desktop PC—so he could research, write, and grow intellectually.

He was in class 7 or 8 at the time, still unaware of how complex the digital world could be. To him, the internet was a place for watching videos, reading stories, and occasionally looking up answers to homework questions. He had no idea that behind the glowing screen lurked people with very different intentions.

One day, while browsing online, he came across a pair of sneakers that caught his eye. He had seen older people around him ordering things online, and it didn’t look too difficult. With a bit of excitement and innocence, he decided he would try to buy the shoes himself. He didn’t understand how online payments truly worked, but he knew his father had a credit card. In his mind, it was just a tool—like a magic key to get things from the internet.

Without fully understanding the consequences, he entered the card details. But instead of a confirmation message for the shoes, something else happened.

The moment he clicked “submit,” the screen glitched for a second—and then, without warning, over 30,000 taka vanished from the account.

He froze. A wave of fear washed over him. His heart pounded. What had he done? How could something go so wrong?

In that instant, his childhood shattered just a little. The boy who believed everyone on the internet was kind now faced a harsh truth: there are people out there who take advantage of trust, especially from those who don’t know better.

He had no knowledge of cybercrime, phishing, or online scams. Until then, he had seen the internet through rose-tinted glasses. He thought everyone online was just like him—curious, harmless, and genuine. But that illusion was gone. The experience scarred him, not just because of the money lost, but because of the guilt he carried. His father had always trusted him. How would he explain this? How could he look him in the eye?

But instead of running away from the incident or sinking into self-blame, the boy did something unexpected.

He decided to learn.

He wanted to understand what had happened, how the fraudsters tricked him, and—most importantly—how to stop it from happening to others. His fear turned into a drive. He started reading articles on cybersecurity, watching tutorials, and even experimenting safely in controlled environments. Every night, after finishing his homework, he would dive deeper into the world of cyber awareness.

Over time, that small seed of curiosity grew into passion. He started teaching friends and classmates how to recognize phishing emails, how to create stronger passwords, and how to be safe while browsing. What began as a painful mistake became a powerful mission.

The same boy who once saw the internet as a playground of kindness became a young cyber expert, alert and aware. He didn’t lose his kindness—he just added caution to it. His journey was shaped by a single moment of fear, but it led him to a lifetime of purpose.

Today, he still remembers that incident not with shame—but with pride. Because it was the turning point that led him to who he became: someone who turns bad experiences into learning, someone who protects others so they never have to go through what he did.