Identity theft

  • Your child’s name, national identification number, address and phone number are very valuable for online predators and criminals. Advise your children only to give out such information as their phone number and address to trusted friends. This will, to some extent, protect them from becoming the victim of an online predator and limit the possibility of becoming a victim of cyberbullying.
  • Talk to your children at an appropriate age and time about avoiding giving away information about their location. This precaution goes far beyond children not revealing their address, but also involves concealing details such as where they go to school or where they play sports. It is also important to warn them not to talk about any of their travel plans, or when the home will be left unattended. Such information is the ultimate gift for thieves!
  • A Location Based Service (LBS) uses information on the geographical position of a mobile device to offer information and entertainment services related to the user’s location. It is  important to check all the active applications on your child’s mobile phone and decide if they need to be disabled or not.
  • Inform your child that any kind of financial information such as bank account numbers should never be displayed online.
  • Warn your children that by sharing their passwords with others it can give people access to their account. Even with good friends, this is best avoided.

Source: Insafe