Minimizing internet crime
I use Craig's
List a lot to sell stuff I no longer need and
need to get the cash out of.
It's a free service. But Craig's list is home
to scammers trying to separate people
from their money; especially higher ticket items like motorcycles, vehicles,
trailers, etc.
I recently sold a Suzuki DR350R motorcycle for $1699 on Craig's List and two different
people tried to pull the same scam on me; pretending
to want to buy my cycle and then
wanting to send me Paypal (but the money
never shows up as spendable in your paypal
account - only pending) or a Chase Bank money order to pay for the purchase,
not wanting to
pick the item up in person, but including extra in the payment to pay their
"mover" who
was the guy who would pick the cycle, as
well as the cash over and above the cost of
the sale. What
happens is you deposit the check in your bank, they credit your account,
the guy picks up the item as well as his mover fee, and then some time later
your bank
calls you to make good on the deposit as the check turns out to be fraud. I
have one of
these cases as a set of emails documented at Craigslistscam
so you understand
how all this goes down and you are left holding the bag.
As you’re well aware, our children,
parents, neighbors, extended family and friends
are increasingly susceptible to internet - and mobile-related crimes such as
fraud,
identity theft and scams as the world of technology extends into nearly every
facet
of our lives.
What can be done about it? At Educator Labs
http://educatorlabs.org/
one of the
most powerful actions to take is to educate. So they scoured over 75
resources
on the topic of Internet and Mobile Safety, selected the 9 they felt were the
most useful,
and then created their own guide. I’ve included everything below (plus the
resources
they created!).
The Essential Teen Internet Safety Guide
Tips for Safe Internet Banking
Tips for Identifying Fraudulent Emails
Putting Parental Controls on Child’s Mobile Phone
The Parent’s Guide to Teens and Mobile Use
By increasing awareness on this topic, we can
help ensure that we are all one step
ahead of the criminals.
Email Sara Bell | s.bell@educatorlabs.org
at educatorlabs.org if you have questions.