Internet Safety Dr. Steve Broskoske Misericordia University

Threats Come from Everywhere iPods. Instant messaging (IM). Chat rooms. Computer games and game consoles. Cell phones. Text messaging. Webcams.

Can You Be Found? 1.Imagine that you just have a name and a state. Try to find a phone number and address for this name. 2.Pretend that you only have a phone number. Try locating a name for this person. Anywho.com

Are You At Risk for Identity Theft? What are you carrying in your wallet? Is your mail safe? Do you shred information before throwing it in the trash? When someone calls on the phone… –Name or any personally identifying info.?

Internet Safety Federal Trade Commission Offers: –Explanation in detail. –Resources. –Great information!

Questions about FTC Video How do thieves steal your identity? What can you do to deter identity theft? If you are a victim of identity theft, what do you do? How can you monitor your safe identity?

Identity Theft Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personally identifying information to commit fraud or other crimes. –Name. –Social Security number. –Credit card number. –Financial institution information.

Identity Theft Sometimes costs hundreds of dollars and many days to repair damage to your good name and credit record. –Denied loans for education, housing or cars because of negative information on their credit reports. –In rare cases, people have been arrested for crimes they did not commit.

How Does Identity Theft Occur? Old-Fashioned Stealing: –Wallets and purses. –Mail: bank and credit card statements, pre- approved credit offers, new checks, tax information. –Personnel records stolen or employees bribed. Pretexting: Using false pretenses to obtain personal information from financial institutions, telephone companies, and other sources.

How Does Identity Theft Occur? Dumpster Diving: Rummage through trash looking for bills or other paper with your personal information on it. Skimming: Steal credit/debit card numbers by using a special storage device when processing your card. Phishing: Pretend to be financial institutions or companies and send spam or pop-up messages to get you to reveal your personal information. Changing Your Address: Divert your billing statements to another location by completing a change of address form.

To Avoid Identity Theft 1.Never give out personally identifying information to anyone (except for authorities and people you trust). 2.Always shred mail that contains your name, address, and other personally identifying information. 3.Protect against spyware. 4.Check your credit report periodically.

How to Check Your Credit Report You can request a free credit report every 12 months. Checks 3 credit bureaus: –Equifax, TransUnion, Experian. Watch for suspicious activity (like accounts you did not create). AnnualCreditReport.com NOT FreeCreditReport.com

If You Are a Victim Place a fraud alert on your credit reports. –3 main credit bureaus (Equifax, TransUnion, Experian). Close any suspected accounts. –Financial institutions and credit card companies. File a complaint with the FTC. File a report of the crime with local police. Monitor your credit report AnnualCreditReport.com (free annually) OR FreeCreditReport.com (pay for monitoring). FreeCreditReport.com

Consumer Alert When buying/selling online: –Fraud protection payment options: Use a credit card. –Realize there is only a low limit of fraud protection offered by PayPal service. When online, let the buyer & seller beware!!! escrow.com

Spyware “Spying” software placed on your PC when you visit Web sites. Sometimes for marketing, sometimes for theft. Ad-Aware at LavaSoft.com Find Ad-Aware at Download.com

Signs That a Child Might Be At Risk On-line 1.Child spends large amounts of time on- line, especially at night. 2.You find pornography on the child's computer. 3.Child receives phone calls from people you don't know, or the child is making calls (usu. long distance) to numbers you do not recognize. Beware of cyberbullying. Take childrens’ concerns seriously.

Signs That a Child Might Be At Risk On-line 4.Child receives mail, gifts, or packages from someone you don't know. 5.Child turns the computer monitor off or quickly changes the screen on the monitor when you come into the room. 6.Child becomes withdrawn from the family.

Protect Children Place family PC in a public place (vs. in a child’s room). Don’t allow children to be online late at night without your supervision. If something looks strange, there might be something wrong: investigate! Be aware of the “lingo.”

Internet Lingo Parents/Teachers Need to Know POS PIR P911 PAW PAL KPC ASL LMIRL Parent Over Shoulder Parent In Room Parent Alert Parents Are Watching Parents Are Listening Keeping Parents Clueless Age/Sex/Location Let's Meet In Real Life