Online Grooming and Luring Awareness
Online luring or grooming is when a person uses technology such as social media, gaming sites and/or chat rooms to convince children and youth to participate in sexual actions they do not want to do.
What does luring and grooming look like?
- Predators may present themselves to you as a friend from school, a friend of a friend or someone you met through extracurricular activities.
- They may use flattery and compliments to get you to warm up to them. Alternately, they may use intimidation, harassment and threats to control your interaction with them.
- They may promise gifts like a new phone, tablet, money, drugs or alcohol.
- They may empathize with a vulnerability you shared online, like a struggle you’re having at home, to build trust and comfort
- They may exchange inappropriate pictures with you as a way to convince you to send inappropriate pictures or videos in return.
- This may lead to blackmail like threatening to send inappropriate pictures to family and friends if you don’t do what they say.
What to do if you think you’re being lured
- Reach out to a trusted adult
- If you need help right away, call 9-1-1
- To report sex trafficking and get help, call the Canadian Human Trafficking Hotline 1-833-900-1010 or visit www.canadianhumantraffickinghotline.ca
Online safety tips
- Check friend requests and group invites before accepting them. Check if you have friends in common and don’t feel pressured to accept them.
- Do not share any personal information with anyone you have only interacted with online.
- Avoid posting information that may suggest problems or issues at home or school as the predator may use it to take advantage of your feelings and situation.
- If someone online is offering you something too good to be true - like money or a new phone - it probably is. Reach out to a trusted adult.
- Never share your location or meet up with anyone you met online without first discussing it with a trusted adult.
Resources:
- Signs that someone is being sex trafficked or sexually exploited
- Online Luring - why teens are vulnerable and how to talk to youth about it
- Online grooming: what it is and how to protect yourself
Cyber Awareness Month
Cyber Awareness Month 2022 | ||||||||
Cyber Awareness Month 2022Staff, educators, school leaders and students of all ages can become cyberheroes by:
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Cyber Awareness Month 2021 | ||||||||
Cyber Awareness Month 2021Staff, students, and parents are invited to participate in October’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted the way we rely on and interact with technology. In all areas of our lives, we have seen an unprecedented increase in the use of technology and the internet for staying connected, for recreation, for online learning, and more. Now more than ever, it is imperative that we learn to protect ourselves online. Adopting safe, secure and healthy habits online is caring for your online presence and digital footprint, while helping to ensure you and your family are protected online. Visit GetCyberSafe.ca for more information from the Government of Canada.
During Cyber Security Awareness Month (CSAM), we explored how a well-organized cyber attack unfolds. Review the topics below for more information on how to maintain your cyber security.
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Social Media Best Practices
- Manage your privacy and security settings - managing your privacy and security settings will help you control who sees and has access to your social media content.
- Be aware of who follows your account - only engage with people you know.
- Be cautious of what you are posting - am I releasing any private information about myself or my organization?
- When in doubt, don’t post it - if you feel hesitant about posting certain information, keep it private.
- Click links with caution - social media accounts are regularly breached. Look out for language, content, or behaviour that is out of the norm.
- Keep up to date on privacy policies - be aware that privacy policies can change and keep up to date on how they impact you or your organization.
- Use social media on a secure Wi-Fi network or personal cellular data - only use hotspots or networks that are trusted, and password protected.
- Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) - use MFA where possible, for your social media accounts.
Phishing
Information on phishing scams |
With phishing scams on the rise, students and parents are asked to exercise heightened awareness to avoid being victims of cyber-crime. While most phishing attempts come by email, phishing can also come by other means. Phishing text messages (also known as SMS phishing or smishing) are fraudulent text messages, sent by cyber criminals, to try to lure victims into revealing personal or financial information to commit fraud or steal sensitive information or to click links that will install malware used to steal data and damage networks. These messages can arrive by SMS, iMessage, social media platforms, and other messaging platforms. Phishing text / email messages are disguised to look like they are sent from a trustworthy organization or reputable person. Always use caution before responding to requests for information. |
How it works |
Phishing scams typically use a threat or opportunity to encourage you to click a link or call a number. Financial incentives, including government payments and rebates, contests, prizes, and giveaways are often part of the lure used by cyber criminals, as well as threats such as legal action, overdue payments or missed deliveries. In the example below, the smishing screenshot is impersonating a Canada Revenue Agency payment. However, the cyber criminal is attempting to steal the information or infect the device of the user who clicks the link. |
Tips to protect yourself |
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If you think you may have been a victim of phishing |
Do your part to block cyber-attacks. Remember to persistently practice S.E.A. – Slow down, Examine carefully and Act cautiously. |
Other helpful resources |
Cyber Security Knowledge Library
Want to know more?
For more information, head over to the Knowledge Library on the Cyber Security Ontario Learning Portal.
This content is hosted by Cyber Security Ontario