Are
You Net Safe!
The Internet is a great place to chat with people from all over the
world, to learn about every subject that’s out there, and to just
have fun. However, the Internet can also be dangerous place if you don’t
play by the rules. What are the rules? Read on to find out!
Protect Yourself From Online Predators
by Detective Mike Sullivan
The world of computing and Internet access is irreplaceable asset in
providing entertainment, education, and access to information. There’s
simply no better way to find, analyze, and store information, or keep
in touch with family and friends.
As with any powerful tool, common sense and safety should be our primary
concerns. When it comes to computers and the online experience, the
dangers are far less obvious. We feel anonymous, protected, and in control
when we are in front of our computers. We feel safe in the homes where
we keep our machines.
Predators use the Internet to create, maintain and distribute a facade,
which after long practice, they know can confuse and dupe a trusting
teen. They manipulate, exploit, sexually abuse, photograph and make
trophies of young teens.
Naturally, they seek to take every advantage the Internet offers in
hiding their true identities and intentions.
For years in our unit, we have been targeting, arresting and convincing
these criminals, and watching them march off to the prison cells they
deserve.
No matter how many predators we catch, we want to reach out to you,
and help you understand how you can prevent becoming the next victim.
The
key questions that predators ask—and why
Watch in the example below how the predator structures his questions
in a way to gain more and more personal information from the teen without
the teen realizing what information is being given away. The questions
asked by Tom are questions I have seen repeatedly over the years in
the hundreds of online investigations in which I have been involved.
Sup?
In the private message Tom has said hello to Becky and asked “sup”—that’s
chat short hand for “what’s up?” After Becky replied,
Tom continued to ask questions about Becky.
A, S, L?
In our sample chat, Tom asked three more questions with just the use
of three letters: a, s, l. This is chat shorthand for asking your age,
gender or sex, and the location where you live.
Becky has responded that she is twelve, female (“g” for “girl”),
and that she lives in Chicago. These three questions are very common
in chat and private messaging. The proper answer would be no answer
at all, or to give a minimal response such as “a girl in high school”
with no indication of location or true age. If this is a predator and
not another junior high school student, it will start to dissuade the
predator. In our Internet safety program, I usually only need six questions
to isolate one student from the forty to ninety students attending the
program. The kids are able to see for themselves just how quickly they
can be located.
Tom has continued to ask questions that would help him locate the specific
geographical area of Chicago where Becky lives. He related that he lived
in the Chicago area also and is trying to find landmarks to help him
pinpoint Becky’s home.
By naming more and more of the landmarks, Tom will eventually know the
area for Becky’s home and would be able to go to the are to look
for her.
The next set of questions should sound the alarm bells.
Do you have
any brothers or sisters?
The question seems innocent enough. If you have siblings, the predator
may chat about what a pain it is to have a little brother or an older
sister. He will type something in order to soothe and distract you from
his real intent. The predator is actually starting to assess the threat
level: How likely is it that he will be caught talking to you?
Who uses the
computer?
If you are the only one using the computer, the parents are computer
illiterate, and there are no siblings, the predator begins to believe
that the threat to him is low.
Where is your
computer?
Does anyone really care where you have your computer? Not really. They
just care that you have one so you can chat with them and be online
friends. However, for the predator, the location of the computer is
extremely important. The answer a predator hopes to hear is that the
computer is in your room or in the basement—anywhere it is out
of sight of the parents, and the likelihood of anyone seeing what is
said on the screen is remote.
Are
you alone?
The question “Are you alone?” has never been asked without
the conversation turning in a bad direction or to sexually related topics
in the next few minutes.
What school
do you go to?
The predator finds you by asking questions such as: “What school
do you go to?” and “Do you play sports?”
How the online
predator uses an address
Armed with all his newly acquired information, the predator turns on
his computer and locates the Web page for St. Michelle’s in Chicago
(don’t bother looking it up, its not a real school) where Becky
told him she wears number 9 for the soccer team. He looks for the soccer
team page. There’s a schedule of the upcoming games, which means
he can go to the game and find number 9 for St. Michelle’s.
If the school puts up the picture of the teams on the Web site the predator
can just bring up the picture and look for number 9, he does not even
have to attend a game to get a picture of Becky. He now knows exactly
to whom he is chatting and what she looks like.
It’s a dangerous world.
What can you
do?
First install and use protection software, and always,
always, always talk to your parents.
What can you
do to protect yourself?
Follow these guidelines and post them near the computer.
I WILL
not give out personal information such as my address, telephone number,
parent’s work address or telephone number, or name of my school
without my parents’ or legal guardian’s permission.
I WILL tell
my parents or legal guardian right away if I come across information
that makes me feel uncomfortable.
I WILL
never agree to get together with someone I “meet” online
without first checking with my parents or legal guardian. If my parents
or legal guardian agree to the meeting, I will be sure that it is a
public place and bring them along.
I
WILL never send a person my picture
or anything else without first checking with my parents.
I WILL
not respond to any messages that are mean or in any way make
me feel uncomfortable. It is not by fault if I get a message like that.
If I do, I will tell my parents or legal guardian right away so they
can contact the online service.
I WILL
talk with my parents or legal guardian so that we can set up rules for
going online. We will decide upon the time of day that I can be online,
the length of time I can be online, and appropriate areas for me to
visit. I will not access other areas or break these rules without their
permission.
Never lose sight of the fact that the predators and their dangers only
make up a very small portion of the online experience, in fact a very
small part. However, the harm they can cause is destructive. Because
of that, we need to be able to limit, if not completely eliminate, contact
with them.
If you feel you have come into contact with an online predator, make
sure you tell your parents or legal guardian and contact the police
immediately. These tips and more valuable information can be found in
Detective Sullivan’s new book, Safety Monitor, available
online and nationwide in bookstores.
BE SMART!
IM Safety For Kids & Teens
Provided by WiredKids.org
Hazards:
Some of the hazards of using instant messengers are as follows:
1. It is an easy way for strangers to contact you.
2. It is an easy way for people to find out vital information about
you.
3. If you have not set your preferences you may never know who may be
watching you while you are online.
4. IM programs are never 100% secure.
5. You can receive unwanted messages which many contain live links to
adult sites.
Privacy Preferences:
After logging onto the AIM program click your mouse where it says MY
AIM, then Edit Options, Then Edit Preferences.
Click the tab named Privacy. Once inside the Privacy options there are
several ways to block some people while allowing others access.
The top box says: “Who can contact me?”
Left side says: Allow All Users to Contact me.
(If this option is checked, then anyone with AIM or AOL can message
you)
Allow only users on my Buddy List
(If this option is checked, only users who are actually on YOUR buddy
list may message you)
Allow Only the Users Below
(If this option is checked, only users who are on the list below this
option may message you)
To Add
Users to the allow list:
Click the button that says ADD NAME, and then type the screen name in
the highlighted space above the button.
On the right hand side of the Who can contact me list are three more
options
Block All Users:
(If this option is checked, then No one can see that you’re online
or message you.
Your virtually Invisible Block AIM users only:
(If this option is checked, then only users who are logged on to AOL
can message you. All AOL Instant messenger Users will be blocked)
Block the Users Below:
(If this option is checked, then only the users who are listed in the
box below this option will be unable to message you) * Remember, though
that these users could have multiple screen names, and if you don’t
have them blocked on all their screen names, they could add you using
another and still message you *
To add users to the block list, click the button that says ADD Name,
and then type the screen name in the highlighted space above the button.
In the privacy options, there is also an option to allow others to know
how long you have been idling.
You may or may not want to check this button.
(I personally do not allow others to know how long I have been idle)
And Finally also in the privacy preferences options, an option to: Allow
users who know my e-mail address to find: My Screen name: (checking
this option will allow anyone whom has your e-mail address to find your
AIM screen name)
Only that I have an account:
(checking this option will let others know that you do have an AIM account,
but not your screen name or other information)
Nothing about me:
(checking this option will not allow others to know anything about you
at all)
* safest option in my opinion *
Top
10 Questions and things to do:
1. Start with find out what information about you is online by searching
for your full name (in quotes), then your full street address (also
in quotes) and finally your telephone number, in all three formats,
just numbers XXXXXXXXXX, (XXX) XXX-XXXX, and XXX-XXX-XXXX. If you find
references to you, whether you knew about them or not, let your parents
know. They can have them taken down.
2. Make sure that any references to you online don't include your full
name, address, telephone number, school, team or anything else that
alone, or together with other information you can find online, would
allow someone to find you off-line. Remember that little bits of information,
while okay on their own, can be a problem when they are combined with
other pieces of information you may be able to find elsewhere online.
So, if you tell kelly4@aol.com your real full name and city where you
live, she may be able to look you up in the white pages or yellow pages
or other online directory. If you tell one person what school you go
to, and another your name, how do you know that they are really two
different people? Don't you ever pretend to be someone else online?
What makes you think they don't?
3. Do you know how to block someone from sending you an instant message,
if they become a problem and won't leave you alone, or say things you
don't want to hear? (See Privacy Preferences)
4. Do you use a buddy list? Who is on it? Only people you know IRL (that
means "in real life")? If you don't know them IRL, be careful
about what you say to them online...and don't meet them off-line unless
you go with an adult (preferably a parent) and use our safer meeting
tips when you do it.
5. Whose buddy list are you on? Only those you have on your buddy list?
Are you sure? How comfortable do you feel with someone you don't even
know tracking when you are online and what you're doing? Creepy isn't
it? You can block strangers from adding you to their buddy list without
your permission. This is how you do it.... (and tell them)
6. Check your online name, and make sure you have not used one that
may identify you IRL somehow. Use numbers or letter in your username,
and never use a username that reveals your gender. For Example: Kite511
7. Select a NON-obvious password - a meaningless combination of letters
and numbers is the best. Change it often and never give it out to anyone.
8. Do NOT send content sensitive material. Due to the fact that the
nature of the Internet and computers causes data flow to pass through
many computers in various places, you can not be sure the information
you send is secure or who may intercept it.
9. Do you really know the person you are talking to, you should never
talk to stranger online, and it goes for the same in real life. On the
Internet, you never really know who or what the other person is, they
may lie about their age or sex.
10. Have you given out your personal information to anybody you do not
know. If you have inform your parents immediately with whom they are
with information such as their username.
