One of the joys of the internet is making friends and being able to reach people all over the world. HOWEVER, We have all heard stories of criminals luring their victims in through the internet under the guise as an internet friend. Though some of these are a bit exaggerated, many of them are true. So how does one make friends online without endangering oneself or coming off as a paranoid freak.
For one, don't reveal any unnecessary personal info. *hint* If someone asks for this info without a damn good reason they are probably a stalker.
Last name: Many people use their first names online (I don't recommend it!) If you must use your first name that's fine. But unless you have a really common, and I mean REALLY commons name combination, don't use it online. In which I mean if your name is John Smith, and there are ten other John Smiths that live in your city/town, then go ahead. If you name is Sarah Warkwood and you have never met another five or six Sarah Warkwoods, for Pete's sake don't use your last name!
CITY/HOMETOWN: You should have no reason to mention this to someone. If you want to talk about some thing area specific just say "In my town" or even just generalize your location. Personally, I usually just say Texas/that I'm Texan. The most specific I'll get is a city a few hours away called San Antonio. That way people can grasp where I'm from without knowing the details.
social security number: there is literally no reason to tell this to someone. If they ask for it, stop talking to them. They are most likely trying to rob you.
Password: Unless you are starting a joint account, don't give people your passwords.
Credit card information: Do I really need to explain this one?
Just remember that internet trust is a bit different than IRL trust.
You will probably never meet people you meet online. So online relationships (In which I mean friendships) are built on the mutual trust that you are what you say you are for discussions sake only, and that you could be totally lying to me. Basically, you should have it to the point where if in the rare chance that everything someone told you about themselves is a lie that you won't be affected by this.
That's all I've got for today. If you have any questions about staying safe either IRL or Online, feel free to ask in the comments and I will do my best to help out.
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Staying safe: Real life vs. Internet
Non-Fiction((Amazing Cover by @Jenna8787)) So, after reading a story here on Wattpad about kidnapping and such, I figured I should write a little guide about some of my experiences and how to stay safe from harm both in real life and online. This is a basic g...
