Page 21 - Merlin Evolve Winter 2020-2021

Fake Websites
Fake websites are usually the sign of a phishing scam. It’s very easy to copy websites, along with their logos. It’s important that you don’t reveal your information to any websites that you’re not confident about.
The Solution
Learning how to spot fake websites is one way you can protect yourself against this type of scam. Fake websites often look very similar to the real website they are imitating. If you find yourself asking: “is this website safe?”, then it’s probably not!
Never trust a clickable link, which directs you to a website. Always look at the address bar wording. Sometimes words are misspelt or changed, to fool you.
If you want to visit a website, always type it yourself to verify you’re going to the correct website. Also, news is a great media support, for alerting you to large-scale phishing scams.
Spend a few minutes checking the website. Have a read at their other pages, i.e. ‘About Us’. Look for poor spelling. Also look for the padlock next to the website address bar, at the top of the page. This will let you know if the website is a trusted source.
Viruses
Protecting your computer from viruses is still an important part of dealing with scams. If a virus infects your device, this can be detrimental to your device and also leave your personal data vulnerable.
The Solution
It’s important you have virus/malware protection software running on your computer. If you’re not sure what that entails, it’s worth talking to someone who can advise and help keep your computer safe. Good news is that there is free software available to help with this problem.
Do not download or open anything from sources which you do not trust. If you get an e-mail from an address you don’t know, don’t open it. It’s especially important that you don’t download any attachments from websites or e-mail addresses you don’t recognise.
Children’s Safety Online
Keeping your child safe online can seem overwhelming, especially when they seem to know more than you do. From social media to online gaming and instant messaging, monitoring your child’s online presence can seem incredibly daunting. Children can be naive and inquisitive to various types of media online. There are a number of ways you can help keep your kids safe and one of the most notable is through internet education.
The Solution
One of the most important parts of ensuring internet safety for kids is education. The more you teach your children about online safety, the better prepared they’ll be to safely use the internet. This is really important, as your child may not always be at home, when accessing the Internet.
Depending on your child’s age and maturity, it may be appropriate to apply some parental controls.
This can be done through your internet settings. Parental controls allow you to prevent your children from accessing certain websites. Your internet provider may have advice on this, so it is a good idea to get in touch with them and see what they offer. Also, having the device where you can monitor what activity is happening.
General list to help educate your children:
Don’t post any personal information online – like your address, e-mail address or mobile number
Think carefully before posting pictures or videos of yourself. Once posted it’s not just yours anymore
Never give out your passwords
Don’t befriend people you don’t know
Don’t meet up with people you’ve met online Not everyone online is who they say they are
If you see something online that makes you feel uncomfortable, unsafe or worried, leave the website
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