Moscow says 800,000 children have watched online-safety lessons

About 800,000 pupils and college students in Moscow have watched educational videos on avoiding online fraud and recruitment into crime, city education chief Irina Kaklyugina said.

The reported reach covers both schools and colleges. The programme addresses risks in social networks, messaging services and online games, where unsolicited offers of easy earnings can conceal criminal tasks.

Younger pupils are shown animated material during the Conversations About Important Things lessons. Older pupils watch videos based on real events, according to Kaklyugina's account reported by RBC on October 12.

Popular youth bloggers have also been involved in explaining deceptive approaches online. Kaklyugina said the aim was to teach children both to recognise a threat and to respond appropriately.

The figure measures the audience reported by officials. The accounts do not provide comparative statistics establishing how much the programme has reduced recruitment or offending. Moscow says it is willing to share its educational materials and experience with other regions.