The world is much more complicated today than when I was a child. The Internet, the very thing that gives us 24-hour access to information and makes life "more convenient," opens our homes to new dangers and often causes us to be less social.

Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay

Being on the Look Out for Fakes and Bad Actors

My kiddos don't remember a time without the interwebs. They have been practicing screen swipes since they were babies. They don't know what living without Google, Alexi, and Siri is like.

My wife and I have rules about device and internet usage. We want to ensure that technology remains a good resource, not a crutch or distraction. Our philosophy about technology is not just about helping our kids become good users but also about assisting them to be aware of other people who operate online. Bad actors want to take advantage of people, including our kiddos.

Although we can not personally protect our kids from everything they might face, we want to provide practical lessons so that they can build a strong foundation of best practices.

I Made A Boo-boo

I broke one of those best practices yesterday - "Be cautious when making connections."

I received a "friend" request yesterday from someone I know offline. I quickly accepted this person's request and kept going about my day.

Nothing seemed off until I received a message at 7:44 PM.

Hello! How are you doing?

Immediately, the alarm went off in my bed. I had slipped. I had let my guard down. Even though I don't advise what happens next, I decided to make light of a complicated situation.

I went into reconnaissance mode.

Carrying On A Conversation With Scammer

So instead of blocking the person trying to scam me, I started conversing with that person. IMPORTANT: I also notified my offline acquaintance that her profile and banner photo had been used to create a fake account.

I might be enjoying this conversation a little bit too much. I am including it below for your reading pleasure.

KEYNOTES:

• How people talk online and offline often mirrors each other. Look for inconsistencies.
• Scammers often intentionally use bad grammar. Targets whose mind misses poor grammar often are more susceptible.
• "???" - First attempt of the scammer to create a sense of urgency.
  
  
  

KEYNOTES:

• I wanted to see if I could rattle the scammer.
• Scammer delivers the offer.
  
  

KEYNOTES:

• Scammer provides more details about the offer.
• I was fishing for more information but was deflected.
• Scammer sends me to the next point of contact. I intentionally blurred the photo to protect the person whose image was stolen.
  
  

KEYNOTES:

• "right now" - Second attempt of the scammer to create a sense of urgency.
• "Home care grant" brings up many hits with a simple Google search. It sounds legit enough to be real but is generic enough to not give much detail.
• Scammer is trying to give social proof - "3 people that have benefited."
• Scammer keeps deflecting my attempts to connect via other channels.
  
  

KEY NOTES:

• "Just contacted them now" - Third attempt of the scammer to create a sense of urgency. More bad grammar.
• "Have you texted the agent Agent yet?" - Fourth attempt of the scammer to create a sense of urgency.

KEY NOTES:

• "Just click on the link right now" - Fifth attempt of the scammer to create a sense of urgency.
• "What's going on with the Agent?" - Sixth attempt of the scammer to create a sense of urgency.

The Stakes Are High

Every scammer and bad actor's motivation is different. Some want money. Some want power. Regardless, these people are actively wrecking lives.

Not only do I think about my kiddos' safety, but I am also reminded of how someone could potentially deceive my parents and parents-in-law. To be honest, I am reminded that I can be just as susceptible as the attacks become more sophisticated.

Let's all help educate the people in our lives, including our kiddos. Often times we homeschool to protect our children. Protection without guidance may keep them safe today, but protection partnered with important life lessons will keep them safer both today and in the future.

Best Practices

1. Acknowledge that there is potential danger around every corner, especially on the Internet.
2. Be cautious when making connections. It is incredibly easy to copy someone's profile pic and start a new social media account.
3. People speak the same online and offline. Look for inconsistencies in how someone is communicating via online chat.
4. Watch out for irresistible offers. If it is too good to be true, then it is probably a scam.
5. If in doubt, verify the information you receive with outside, reliable sources.
6. Watch out for suspicious-looking links in chats, emails, and texts.
7. Acknowledge when people are trying to rush you to make a decision. Slow down. Think before you react.

Final Thoughts

I messed up. I told my kiddos that because I want them to learn from my mistakes. We must remain diligent, both for our own sake and for the people that mean the most to us.

Let's keep creating safe environments for our children to learn and grow.

@SumatraNate