Mesquite Christian Home School Association

Internet Safety Page:

The Internet is a very big place. Like a city, it has culture, beauty, business, crime, ugliness, and danger. You need to be careful of where you go and who you talk to. Please let this page be a guide and remember it is NOT a comprehensive source. There are many dangers that are not listed here. Always be suspicious of "deals" that seem too good. Above all, use common sense. Remember that Google is your friend. If you are not sure about something, research it before acting.

Chain E-Mails

Chain E-mails come in several different forms but all have the same purpose, to get you to forward it to as many people as you can. Learn more about these letters here

Scams

All Internet scams are designed for one purpose. To part you from your money. They come in different styles and approaches. Here are a few to look out for:

You get an e-mail from someone who has a large sum of money that for some reason they need help managing. They may be in a foreign country and need help getting the money out. The corrupt government will take it all. They may be invested in commodities and have a similar problem with an offshore account. They may be sick and dying and need you to help them keep the money out of the hands of greedy relatives so they can donate it to charities.

The reality is, there is no money. If you respond to one of these letters, the sender will request money from you. This is to bribe officials or pay for transfer fees or any number of reasons. Any money you send is 100% gone. You have been scammed. Many of these scammers are very clever and play on peoples morals, conscience, or greed. Don't fall for it. See this page for examples.

Phishing (pronounced like fishing) is exactly that, "fishing" for information. These scammers will send you an e-mail that appears to be from a bank, ebay.com, or some other place. They will have a reason for you to click on a link and update or enter some personal information.

The truth: They are trying to steal your identity. Although they have very authentic looking web sites they are just trying to get your personal information. Credit Card numbers, Social Security Number, bank account numbers, PIN's, name, address, Mother's maiden name, etc. Do Not fall for this.

If you get a request to visit a web site, don't click on a link in an e-mail. Open a browser and type in the address of the site yourself. It is easy to spoof the name that appears in a link. See this page for examples.

For any questions or suggestions regarding this page, please . I would be glad to hear from you.