TRUST // NO TRUST · Free educational resources
Free online safety guide for teenagers
“Stay safe online” is a free 53-page PDF guide for teenagers aged 13 to 18, written by Nicholas Carstoiu (Nicholas Cârstoiu) and available in English, Romanian and French. It explains how to recognise online manipulation, protect your accounts and get help when something goes wrong.
- Free PDF guide
- English, Romanian and French
- No registration required
- For teenagers, families and schools
Free guide
Download the free guide by Nicholas Carstoiu
“Stay safe online” grew out of SMART ONLINE = SAFE OFFLINE, the free cybersecurity education programme Nicholas Carstoiu teaches in Bucharest schools. The guide works independently of the TRUST // NO TRUST platform: students can read it at home, families can discuss it together and teachers can use it in class. Every figure has its source, checked in October 2026.
What the guide helps teenagers do
- Recognise phishing and account theft: spot suspicious messages, QR-code traps, fake support accounts and requests for login or device-linking codes.
- Respond to grooming, cyberbullying and sextortion: recognise pressure and threats, ask for help and keep useful evidence without spreading intimate images.
- Protect accounts and devices: use unique passphrases, password managers, passkeys, two-step verification and account recovery.
- Use AI more safely: check deepfakes and cloned voices, protect personal information and know the limits of AI chatbots and companions.
- Avoid money and gaming traps: recognise fake jobs, money-muling requests, fraudulent trading offers and pressure to keep paying for random rewards.
- Choose the right first response: tell a stolen password from an infected device, a financial fraud or image-based blackmail, and find the right help.
Part of the free SMART ONLINE = SAFE OFFLINE programme. You may print and share the guide for free, in full and unchanged, for non-commercial education, with the source credited.
In the press
Nicholas Carstoiu and TRUST // NO TRUST in the press
Publications that have written about TRUST // NO TRUST, the digital resilience project started by Nicholas Carstoiu with Ana Marinescu, Nil Gonencer and Eva Obretin, coordinated by Prof. Gabriela-Amalia Grigore. The articles are in Romanian; the excerpts are translated.
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Questions and answers
Can I print the guide and use it in class?
Yes. You may print and share the guide in full and without changes for non-commercial educational purposes, with the source credited. Teachers can use it in form periods, IT or social education classes.
Which languages are available?
The guide is available in English as “Stay safe online”, in Romanian as “Siguranța ta online” and in French as “Ta sécurité en ligne”. All three editions can be downloaded above.
Are the help contacts relevant outside Romania?
The help directory focuses on services available in Romania. If you are elsewhere, check your local services and emergency numbers. Take It Down is available internationally, within the eligibility rules and limits explained by NCMEC.
How can a school book SMART ONLINE = SAFE OFFLINE?
The programme is free for schools, students, teachers and parents. Sessions are currently taught in Romanian in Bucharest schools. Email nicholas.carstoiu@gmail.com to discuss availability.
Does the guide guarantee protection from online threats?
No. It is an educational resource that explains risks and practical responses. It does not replace help from a trusted adult, a qualified professional or the appropriate authorities.
