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TIPS FOR
KIDS AND FAMILIES
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Children are especially vulnerable to
fraud. They are young and lack life experience, and tend to trust
those who seem to be older or in a position of authority. This
puts them at risk on the in person, on the phone, and on-line.
Every family should adopt rules about what is okay for children to
reveal about themselves and their family and what is not okay.
Listed below are some basic safety rules for kids when on the phone or
on-line.
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I will not
give out my address or phone number to strangers, on the phone or
when on-line.
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I will never
send my picture to anyone on-line without checking with my parents
first.
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I will not
give out my internet password under any circumstances.
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I will tell my
parents or a trusted adult if I see or hear something on the phone
or on-line that makes me uncomfortable.
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I will not
respond to messages that are mean or make me feel
uncomfortable. I will hang up the phone or leave the site.
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I will never
meet in person with anyone I meet on-line or on the phone without my
parents' permission.
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I will not say
or do anything on the phone or on-line that hurts other people or is
against the law.
Make sure that children know that it
is not their fault if someone says something hurtful to them on the
phone or on-line. Make sure that they know where they can go
on-line and that they can come to you if they have questions or concerns
about something they have seen or heard. Teach kids to be
cautious, but do not blame them if someone tricks them into revealing
information; perpetrators can be very convincing even to adults.
If you have concerns about your children's activities on-line, set aside
family time to spend together on the computer and make sure you know
that names of all their on-line friends.
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