There are lots of sites around that allow you to talk to other people on the web Social Websites And Windows Live messenger Yahoo Messenger. Chat rooms give you the chance to have a conversation with other people and get instant replies. Online message boards and forums let you post questions or comments and ask other users to give their opinion in their own time.
It can be a great way to chat to other people who share your interests, but you should always be careful not to pass on any of your personal details. You should always keep in mind that internet users can pretend to be anyone they like. They can lie about their age, their interests and whether they're male or female. No matter how long you've been chatting, remember that they're still strangers; you don't really know them at all.
Social networks
Some of you may have your own Bebo account or Facebook profile that lets you chat with friends or communicate with other users who share your interests. These 'social networks' let you create your own blog, upload photos and videos for others to see and add people to an online friends list.
Social networks are a great way of keeping in touch but you should think carefully before adding someone to your list of online friends or posting a blog entry that could get you into trouble at school, college or work. Remember:
* your page is still a public place, so putting anything on your page that you wouldn't want your parents, teacher or boss to see is not a good idea
* you can never be sure that other users are being truthful about their online identities, so be careful about what information you give out
* to think about whether you know someone well enough before accepting someone into your group of linked friends
* to make sure you know who to contact to report abuse or bullying on your page and how your complaint will be dealt with.
REMEMBER!
Never give out any personal information about you IE: where you live and your telephone number where you work or your school college university.
Online Predators
Unfortunately for many the internet is also a dark place as social networks and chat rooms can also be riddled with pedophiles etc NEVER GIVE OUT YOUR AGE OR WHERE YOU LIVE remember you don't know them in the real world you aren't clear of who they are
Identity theft
this is increasingly becoming more alarming be aware of emails especially when they claim to be from your bank asking you to verify information such as pin numbers and account numbers for your credit card etc BANKS DO NOT DO THIS!
Here IS The Shocking Part
You may not find out that your identity has been stolen until you try to apply for a credit card and you're told that you already owe money to a number of companies. You could also find out if you apply for benefits and are told that you seem to be already claiming them.
Keeping your identity safe
Your identity and personal details are as valuable to criminals as your mobile phone and your wallet, so you should take the same amount of care to protect them. As well as using your common sense to keep your cards and passwords safe, there are more specific ways you can protect your details:
* rip up, shred or burn your receipts safely before you throw them away to make sure your card number cannot be seen
* if you're about to go to university, don't change your address with your bank until you're happy that your personal mail will be safe
* if you've just moved, set up a mail re-direct with the Post Office for at least a year, this will make sure that all your mail will be sent to your new address automatically - you should also change your address with your bank and other companies as soon as possible
No comments:
Post a Comment