A few years ago I was in a chat session and we somehow got on the subject of how some people have problems with other people on the Net. It seems that occasionally someone will feel the need to send a rude or threatening email to someone else through their Web page, even if the Web page is by or about a child.
We all know of the scenarios where an adult will join in a children's chat and pose as a child so he can meet that child just to hurt him or her. Anyway, this person I was chatting with had a problem with someone once and she knew what to do about it. The organization that she contacted was called The Web Police. It seems that they are no longer in service but here are some other things that you can do.
- Scam Watch - Web Police offer a scam watch to help you avoid some of the mose popular scams. This includes never meeting with people who have a "fabulous offer" and check out a company thoroughly before doing business with them.
- Crime Reports - Keep abreast of the latest crime reports concerning online security.
- Statistics - Take a look at the latest Internet crime statistics.
- ScamWatch - Protects people on the Internet from fraud.
- InterGOV - Helps people from different nations to learn to get along online.
- International Child Safety Center - Helps keep children safe online.
- Identity theft: What you can do - 17 tips to follow when online to keep you safe.
My First Meeting
Several times I have met with people, in person, that I met on the Internet. On in particular was a woman who I met on a bulletin board for women who were due to have their baby's in a certain month. We became friends and tried to get together for months to see each others baby's in person. We went to a park and had a wonderful time.Don't Become a Victim
You've probably heard this type of story before. People have been know to meet on the Internet, fall in love, and get married. This is becoming more and more common all the time and although this is one of the up sides of the Internet there is a very common down side. People have also had very bad experiences with meeting people this way. To protect yourself from becoming a victim of online fraud always remember to be very sure of the person you are going to meet before meeting them and meet in a public place. Never let them come to your house to meet them.I would like to point out one more thing. Even though meeting people online can sometimes be dangerous it is not the only dangerous way to meet people. You can meet someone in a dance or a bar and they can be just as bad. The Internet has gotten so much publicity in this arena because it is so new not because it is worse. You must be careful meeting people wherever and whenever you meet them, not just online.
