A short film helping teens recognise ‘phishing’ scams and a hand-drawn animation teaching responsible money management were among the winners of this year’s Money Stuff Challenge, NSW Fair Trading Minister Matthew Mason-Cox said today.

Mr Mason-Cox presented the 14th annual Money Stuff Challenge awards at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, with students and schools awarded a cash prize pool of up to $14,000.

Mr Mason-Cox congratulated the five winners and 18 final entries who were chosen from more than 1200 entries from 57 schools across NSW.

“The NSW Government believes it’s important to educate young consumers about their rights and potential pitfalls, and the Money Stuff Challenge helps young teens reflect on these important consumer issues,” Mr Mason-Cox said.

“Whilst the competition is a fun and educational experience, it plays an important role in helping young people to develop their consumer and financial literacy.

“Young people today are a popular marketing target, which leaves them more vulnerable to scammers and unscrupulous traders. “It is vital they know their rights and are equipped with consumer savvy knowledge to protect themselves in the marketplace.

“Since this award-winning program started, more than 16,943 students from years 8-10 have participated in the Money Stuff Challenge.’’

Among the winners was Michaela Taylor, a high school student from the Australian Christian College in Marsden Park, who took out the major category for Metropolitan NSW.

“Ms Taylor’s entry was a hand-drawn animation about money management, highlighting important consumer messages for young people,” Mr Mason-Cox said.

“The entry won based on its ability to deliver a simple and relevant consumer message to young people in a format that is both clear and appealing to a youth audience.”

Catherine Yao was awarded the top prize in the Regional NSW category. “Ms Yao’s impressed judges with an engaging short film about phishing scams,” Mr Mason-Cox said.

“The entry won based on its clear identification of a major consumer issue and offered realistic solutions and advice, which any young person can easily follow to protect themselves from scammers.”

Each winning entrant received a plaque, certificate and cash prize of $250. The winner’s school also received $1,000.