Keeping Safe Online
It’s important that if you’re using the internet, you know how
to stay safe. You should never give out any personal information
when you're online, no matter who you think you're talking to. For
more information on internet safety for children see our Internet safety
section.
Staying Safe in Chatrooms
To stay safe, make sure that when you're using a chat room or
posting on a message board, you never give out any personal
information like your address or your phone number. You should
always use a nickname, so no-one can look you up in a telephone
directory and get your home phone number.
It's usually not a good idea to arrange to meet up with someone
that you've been chatting to online. Remember that you can never be
sure that they're telling the truth about their age or their
interests and you could be putting yourself in danger.
If you do want to meet up with someone you've met online, make
sure that you discuss it with your parents beforehand. If they do
agree, make sure that you arrange a meeting in a public place and
that you take an adult with you.
Remember
There are some important things that you need to keep in mind
when you're on your computer at home or at school:
- Never give out identifying information such
as, name, address, school name or telephone numbers in a public
message such as a chat room or a bulletin board.
- Never send a person a picture without first
checking with your parent or guardian.
- Never respond to messages or bulletin board
items that are suggestive, threatening, obscene or generally make
you feel uncomfortable.
- Get to know your 'online friends' just as
you get to know all of your other friends.
- Never arrange a face to face meeting without
telling your parent or guardian. If your parent or guardian agrees
to the meeting, make sure you meet in a public place and have a
parent or guardian with you.
- Be careful when someone offers you something
for nothing, such as gifts and money, be very careful about any
offers that involve you coming to a meeting or having someone visit
your house.
- Be sure that you are dealing with someone that
your parents know and trust before giving out any personal
information about yourself via e-mail.
- Remember that people online may not be who
they seem. Because you can't see or even hear the person it would
be easy for someone to misrepresent him or herself. Therefore
someone indicating that 'she' is a '12 year old girl' could be an
older man.
- Tell your parent or guardian right away if you
come across any information that makes you feel uncomfortable.
Shop Safely Online
Many people are still reluctant to shop on the internet because
they believe that their bank details are not safe. Luckily,
shopping on the web is now just as safe as ordering goods over the
telephone, as long as you follow a few common sense rules.
Make sure that if you do order goods over the internet, the
company that you're buying from uses a secure shopping server.
You'll know if it is a secure site if a padlock icon appears at the
bottom of your browser window, or the web address begins with
'https:'.
If it's a company that you've never heard of before, search
their site for any contact numbers and postal addresses. If they're
a respectable company, they won't mind you giving them a quick call
to ask them a few questions.
Also, make sure that you never send your bank details to anyone
in an email. Legitimate banks and online stores will never ask you
to do this as it is not a secure way of sending information.
If you do receive an official-looking email that asks you to
send your financial details, you should never reply as you could
become a victim of identity fraud.
For more information see our Identity Theft section or visit the
Get Safe Online Website.