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Computer Safety
Guidelines
Know How to Protect
Your Family
 The
City of Niles Police Department can not stress enough how important
it is to be aware of how to protect your family from online
predators and scam artists. Here is another reminder: The internet
is a common pastime for both adults and children. Most of us use the
internet for work, school, or entertainment every day. Millions of
children use the internet to communicate through e-mails and chat
rooms. If left unsupervised the internet can be dangerous and expose
children to predators and inappropriate material. Due to the
increase in technology and internet use many criminals have turned
to the computer as an aid for them to commit crimes. Crimes using
the computer can include: harassment/stalking, ID theft, scams, and
child sexual solicitations.
Harassment / Stalking:
It is a crime to use the computer to harass or stalk. If you feel
you are being harassed or stalked by someone on the computer, tell
them to stop contacting you. If the contact continues save all
transmissions and report this to the police.
ID Theft / Scams:
Criminals can use personal information you provide over the internet
to steal your identity. They can then use your credit, establish
loans, and create fictitious IDs using your information. This can
ruin your financial status and cost you a lot of time and money to
repair the damage. Check your credit report often to catch any
fraudulent activities early, and report any fraud to the police.
No legitimate financial institution, credit card company, or
business will EVER contact you by e-mail asking you for personal
information (passwords, screen names, credit card numbers, etc.).
These messages are scams and they try to pressure you into giving
out this information over the computer. If you receive this type of
request you should automatically assume it is a scam and do not
respond.
Child Sexual Solicitations:
People who are dangerous may use internet chat rooms to solicit
children. They will pose as a young boy or girl, hoping to
"lure" a child. They will try to build a friendship with a
child over the internet and gain their trust. They may send gifts,
encourage them to distance themselves from parents, and may try to
arrange a face to face meeting with that child.
These type of people are very manipulative and can have an affect
even on kids who are "guarded". If you feel your child is
being solicited save all transmissions and report this to the
police.
Safety Tips For Parents/Children:
Parents should be monitoring their child's computer use. Under this
supervision the internet can be an overall positive experience for
children. Here are a few tips to help keep your child safe:
1. Keep the computer in a common area so it can be monitored easily.
2. Do not allow your child to have their own password.
3. Do not give out any personal information such as name, birth
date, address, phone number, school the child attends, etc. Be aware
of passive comments about a child's hang out spot, sports they are
involved in, or their routine activities.
4. Computer savvy people can track down a child knowing only their
"screen name". Have children use a general screen name
that won't draw attention by giving away whether they are a male or
female.
5. Posting pictures and giving out personal information on My
Space.com, Xanga.com, or other personal space web sites, gives
dangerous people all the information they are looking for. It also
gives enough information for someone to steal your identity.
6. Never agree to a face to face meeting or allow someone to visit
you at home.
7. Explain to your child the dangers of giving out personal
information, and tell them you will be monitoring their computer
transmissions.
8. Do not respond to messages that are obscene, threatening, or make
you feel uncomfortable. Immediately tell your parents if you come
across something that makes you feel uncomfortable.
9. Use filtering or blocking software in addition to parental
supervision.
10. Diligent parental supervision is the most important way to help
ensure your child's safety on the internet.
Internet Guidelines You Should Know
The Niles Police Department is committed to
helping our residents learn ways to keep their families safe from
harm. The following is a partial list of important safety tips for
internet users. Please discuss these tips with your family.
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Place the computer in a common area of the
residence rather than a bedroom. This will encourage online time
to be a family oriented activity.
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Become familiar with the people and web sites
your children are interacting with on the internet, just as you
would get to know all of their other friends.
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Try to select non-descriptive Account Names and
Screen Names for your children. Their online names should not be
too specific or identify or describe them in detail.
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Remind your children not to provide their real
name, phone number, address, or other personal information to
anyone to whom they meet online, and never to meet face to face
with anyone they have met through the internet.
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Set reasonable guidelines for your children's
time online and remember that the computer should not be thought
of as a "babysitter". The guidelines should be age
appropriate . . what is acceptable for a teenager may not be
o.k. for a younger child.
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Remind your children that the rules are the same
for any computer they use, whether at home, a friend's house,
school, or the public library. Assure them that they can talk
with you about things that happen on the internet. If they fear
that they will lose their internet access, they may be reluctant
to talk about anything bad that happened on the internet.
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Never give out your personal information, your
real name, address, or phone number, or any personal information
about your family or friends without their permission.
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Be careful in chat rooms. Don't get involved in
fights or use obscene language. You could be reported and have
your internet service suspended or cancelled.
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If you are in a chat room and someone makes you
feel uncomfortable, attempts to start a fight with you, or uses
offensive language, leave the room.
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Ignore obscene or offensive messages. Replying
may cause the sender to continue to send such messages.
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Be careful in joining mailing lists, some may
make your personal information public. Don't provide an address
or phone number. The information for which you are signing up is
sent to the e-mail address you provide, so they don't need your
address or phone number.
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Beware of offers for free items, get rich quick,
or weight loss offers. They may be a scam.
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Beware of e-mail from people you don't know or
e-mail you weren't expecting. It may contain a virus designed to
damage your computer or send your account name and password back
to the sender.
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Never send your picture to someone you don't
know or trust. Remember, the internet allows people to become
anyone they want to be, and they may be someone you don't really
want to know.
Internet
Guidelines for Children
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Never give your name, address or phone number to
anyone on the internet.
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Do not go into chat rooms without your parent's
help.
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If you get a message that makes you feel
uncomfortable, don't respond to it, and be sure to tell your
parents.
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Don't join a mailing list without your parent's
permission.
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Don't open e-mail from anyone you don't know. It
might be a virus which could damage your computer.
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Don't believe everything people on the internet
tell you. Since you can't see the other person, you don't know
who they really are.
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Never agree to buy or trade anything on the
internet without your parent's permission.
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Never agree to meet anyone you met on the
internet, and never send pictures of yourself over the internet.
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