Though there have been many scares about what can happen to children or teenagers on the internet, adults should be safe as well. There is no limit to the amount of risk adults come in contact with such as sexual predators, criminals who are seeking out your personal information on social networking sites, buying habits, frequently used sites, and many others.
Here are some tips to help prevent you from being a target:
- Do not share things such as email addresses, usernames and passwords.
- Do not use usernames or passwords that include your name, birthdate, important numbers, or where you live.
- Keep your location safe. Never share where you live or where you are with anyone. It is important to keep the locations of others safe as well.
- Do not share photos of you or your family members.
- Do not use numbers that are personally identifiable such as your driver’s license number, wedding date, VIN numbers, locker combination, social security number, or any other type of number that can help predators identify you.
These preventions can be applied to all aspects of web use for communicating online, socializing, sharing images, gaming, purchasing products, identity theft, fraud, and others.
For Kids:
- Never give out personal information such as where you live, your name, and your phone number when in a chat room.
- Never send a picture of yourself without a parent’s permission.
- Do not continue speaking with a person that has made you feel scared or uncomfortable. Tell a parent if this happens.
- Without your parent's permission, don’t meet someone or have them visit you.
- Do not trust anyone, they could be lying to you.
- To be safe, keep the computer in a room used often by family members.
- Speak out when you are being bullied. Telling an adult is not a sign of weakness. Tell a trusted adult if you are being bullied.