BE INTERNET ALERT
Knowing what's real and what's fake
Help your family protect themselves online by double checking things really are what they appear to be.
What is phishing?
Phishing is the act of tricking people into sharing their personal information online in order to gain access to accounts or private data.
Usually, phishers will pretend to be a person, company, or website we already trust, meaning they’re not always easy to spot.
Help children avoid getting caught out by teaching them to do a bit of detective work.
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If they’ve gone through these steps and are still in doubt, tell them it’s always best to delete any suspicious messages.
Spotting the fakes
There’s so much happening online, it can sometimes be difficult to tell what’s genuine and what’s not. A good exercise is showing children how to check if the websites they’re visiting are the real deal.
Activity
Visit a few websites together and look out for signs of security
Does the URL start with https?
Does it have a padlock next to it?
Does the URL match the site name you were looking for?
If the answer to all three questions is yes, you’re more than likely good to go!
A few more things to watch out for:
Messages about ‘winning’ or ‘free offers’ are usually too good to be true.
Always read the fine print at the bottom of an email — it might contain something sneaky .
Avoid clicking on pop-ups. They’re often bad news.
Look closely at the sender's profile picture. If it's blurry or hard to see, be cautious.
Help! I’ve fallen for a scam
Both smart children and savvy adults can be fooled by scammers. The first thing to remember is: Don’t panic!
If you think you’ve been tricked, here’s what you can do to help keep yourself, your information and your devices safe.
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Quick lessons for little ones…
Not everything you read, or see, online is true.
If it says it’s free, it’s probably fake.
If you think you've spotted a scam, let a grown up know as soon as possible.
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Be Internet Alert
