In the heart of a vibrant city known as Tech Town, where everyone was connected by the latest gadgets and the internet, 12-year-old Maya Patel was already known as the "tech wizard." She had a reputation among her friends and family for fixing almost anything that involved technology. Whether it was a broken phone, a glitchy computer, or even setting up a complicated home security system, Maya could do it all. She loved tinkering with gadgets and was always up to date on the newest apps, games, and tech trends. To her, the digital world was as familiar as her own backyard.
It was a typical afternoon, and Maya was sitting in her bedroom, surrounded by her favorite things: her laptop, tablet, phone, and a set of bright LED lights hanging on her wall. As she scrolled through a few coding tutorials on her computer, she received a message on her phone. It was from her best friend, Liam.

Liam's Message:
“Hey Maya, I found something really cool! Check this out!”

Maya, curious as always, tapped the link in the message. It led to a strange website she’d never seen before. The page was flashy, with animated graphics and bright colors. But before she could scroll down, something odd happened—her screen flickered and a pop-up appeared.

The Pop-Up Message:

"I have your data. Pay me or it will be deleted."

Maya froze. She had seen pop-up ads before, but this one was different. It wasn’t just an annoying advertisement—it seemed like a direct threat. She quickly looked at the address bar of her browser, but the website looked completely unfamiliar. It wasn't a site she'd visited before, and it didn’t seem to be linked to any company she trusted.

Maya’s heart raced as her mind raced with questions: Who was this? What did they mean by “I have your data”? Her first instinct was to shut down her computer, but then she remembered her files were all saved on her cloud storage. Could this be related to her personal information? What if the hacker had already gained access?

Trying to stay calm, she immediately closed the browser window. But just as she did, her phone buzzed again. It was another message—this time from an unfamiliar number.

The Message:
"You’ve been warned. Don’t try to outsmart me. Pay the ransom, or I’ll erase everything."

Her mind raced again. Ransom? What did that mean? Was someone trying to steal her personal data or hold it hostage? She knew she had to act fast, but she also knew she couldn’t let panic take over. Maya was a tech-savvy kid, after all—she had the skills to figure this out.
Maya sat up straighter and began thinking logically. First, she needed to secure her computer and all her devices. She knew that online criminals often used tricks to trick people into clicking on malicious links or downloading harmful software. Could this pop-up have been part of a larger scam?
Her second thought was to reach out to someone who could help. Maya’s best friend, Liam, was just as smart with technology as she was. If anyone could help figure out what was going on, it would be Liam. She quickly sent him a text:

Maya’s Text to Liam:
"Liam, something weird just happened. Someone sent me a threatening message saying they have my data. What should I do?!"

Liam's reply came almost instantly:

Liam’s Message:

"Whoa, that’s serious. Don’t panic. I’m on my way over. We’ll figure this out together."

Maya quickly locked her computer, turned off her Wi-Fi, and unplugged her router to prevent any further access to her devices. As she waited for Liam to arrive, she felt a mix of frustration and curiosity. Who could be behind this? What did they want with her data?

She looked around her room, where everything was tech-related. Maya loved being online—learning new things, connecting with friends, and even playing games. But this situation was different. This was the darker side of the internet that she had always read about, but never experienced firsthand.

When Liam arrived a few minutes later, he didn’t waste any time. He sat down beside Maya and opened up his laptop. “First things first, we need to check your computer’s security settings and make sure they haven’t gained access to anything,” he said, his voice calm but serious.
Maya explained everything that had happened—the strange website, the threatening messages, and the pop-up that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Liam was quiet for a moment, his fingers typing furiously on his keyboard.

“We’ll need to track down where these messages are coming from. There are a lot of online scammers and hackers who use anonymous accounts to try and steal data. But we can do this,” Liam said confidently. He looked at Maya and smiled. “You’re not the only one with skills, remember?”
As Liam began working on tracking the source of the message, Maya thought back to everything she knew about internet security. She had heard stories about people losing their personal information to cybercriminals. But this was different—it wasn’t just about getting her password or bank details. Someone was trying to take everything she had online—her files, photos, and personal data.
Maya and Liam didn’t know it yet, but they were about to embark on a digital mystery that would teach them both some important lessons about online safety, data protection, and the importance of being vigilant in the cyber world.

End of Part 1

In Part 2, Maya and Liam will begin to unravel the mystery behind the cyber criminal’s messages and take their first steps toward protecting Maya’s personal information.