Creative Guide for Teachers & Parents

SUBJECT & DISCUSSION IDEA #7 - Be wary of e-mail or instant messages from unknown people

Are you familiar with the term "phishing"? It is the criminal attempt to gain access to private or sensitive data, like Internet passwords and credit card numbers, by someone posing to be a trustworthy and legitimate organization online. These attempts are frequently made through e-mails or instant messaging.

Social networking sites have become a target for phishing. Many criminals will:

• create a website that looks identical to the homepage of a social networking site to get you to enter your username and password.
• use the information they receive to hack your account and gain access to all of your information.
• set up a link in a message within the internal messaging system of the social networking site itself.

What you can do:

• Don't respond to an e-mail asking for personal banking information. Authentic companies will not ask their clients for usernames or passwords via e-mail.
• Exercise caution with e-mails and personal messages. If you don't know the sender, try to find out if they are legitimate before you respond.
• Protect your computer with spam-filters and anti-virus software, and make sure your firewalls are turned on.
• Be cautious and critical of messages from people you don't know and trust. Never enter personal information online unless you are 100% sure that the website is legitimate and authentic. If you are not sure, it's a good idea to ask an adult for help.

Discussion idea:

Amy recently opened a bank account at her local mall. One day, she receives an e-mail from that institution - they want her to verify her passwords, online. Would a bank ask a customer to verify passwords this way? If the e-mail looks like it comes from the bank (it's got all the right logos and colours, etc., and is signed by the bank president) what should Amy do? What might happen if she responds and verifies her passwords online?