13. Make sure you have a copy of the resource page to review: The FBI Internet Safety Tips i-SAFE’s 4’R’s R ECOGNIZE R EFUSE R ESPOND R EPORT
14. N ever give out personal information such as your name, home address, school name, or telephone number in a chat room or on bulletin boards. (Includes IMs, blogs, etc.) Never write to someone who has made you feel uncomfortable or scared, even if you or your parents know who they are. The FBI Internet Safety Tips
15. Do not meet someone you have only met on the Internet without the permission of your parents. That includes having them visit you. Tell your parents right away if you read anything on the Internet that makes you feel uncomfortable. The FBI Internet Safety Tips Remember that people online may not be who they say they are.
19. Lesson 3 Online Strangers, Predators, and the Grooming Process
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23. Predators and Prey KEY point: A predator is one who stalks or uses lies, secrecy, or stealth, to get close enough to another person in order to easily hurt or harm them. KEY point: One who is a victim or one who is vulnerable to victimization by a predator is prey . How do these terms apply to the online environment?
Cyber Bullies are another unfortunate danger many kids face online. Sometimes it can come across as harmless, but to kids any type of bullying can have adverse effects and result in low self esteem, depression, etc. Students use chat, IM, websites, and more to joke, poke fun of, and threaten others. Online one can find sites devoted to ranking the ugliest student at school. Sometimes after a fight a friend will become an enemy as what was meant to be a private email is forwarded to others. Indeed some people say things which are meant to be taken one way but with only a computer screen facing the receiver, they are taken completely wrong. Bullying escalates and becomes a bigger problem. Perhaps more so then schoolyard bullying ever was because ANYONE can do it or be on the receiving end of it.
Identity theft has gone high tech. Pretending to be your bank, ebay, paypal, or other institution, identity thieves mimic the logos, email address, etc. to request you to confirm personal information, etc. Even typing in your personal information and credit card number online presents a risk to thieves. Another way to access personal info is through old fashioned hacking. If you are online you should be running firewalls and other security software to protect your computer and your information.
It is best to act smartly when online. These 4 R’s can apply to many online safety hazards. For example – being aware of how a predator finds the victim and understanding that people online are strangers, allows one to act appropriately when faced with those situations: R ECOGNIZE techniques used by online predators to deceive or intimidate their victims. R EFUSE requests for personal information or a face-to-face meeting. R ESPOND assertively by exiting the program, logging off, or turning off the computer. R EPORT any suspicious or dangerous contact that makes you or your child feel uncomfortable. The 4 R’s also hold true for cyber bullying: R ECOGNIZE ‘flaming’ and cyber bullying techniques and the bully’s screen name or address. R EFUSE to open or read any message from a cyber bully. R ESPOND assertively by leaving the chat room without responding or the letter unopened. R EPORT cyber bullying to the ISP, the school, or law enforcement as needed to stop it immediately. And it is also true for identity theft scams. By being aware of the latest ploys such as phishing emails (sending what looks like a reputable email asking for personal information) one is better equipped to deal appropriately with them. R ECOGNIZE techniques used by identity thieves to obtain people’s personal information. R EFUSE to provide personal information by phone or email if you didn’t initiate the communication. R ESPOND assertively by contacting the three U.S. credit bureaus and put a fraud alert on your credit. R EPORT any unusual, suspicious, or fraudulent activities to law enforcement authorities.