tonymcewing's Blog

Last week, we reported on a mentally and physically disabled man who was brutally beaten by four men, one of whom he had met online and agreed to meet in person. Obviously, that turned out to be a huge mistake. According to authorities, the man the victim agreed to meet at his apartment, later returned with three other men. The four thugs pummeled the victim mercilessly and stole his computer and other personal belongings. It was hard to watch the video of this wheelchair-bound, mentally impaired man who had been roughed up so savagely, a shoe print was still visible on his face. To make matters worse, the stolen computer was the only means this poor man, who is unable to speak, had to communicate with other people. The good news is all four of these guys were apprehended and now face very serious charges.

It's understandable why this victim erred in judgment and agreed to meet a complete stranger at his residence. He may not have had the mental capacity to comprehend just how dangerous doing something like that is. But most of us have no such disability and exercising a little common sense when using the Internet can save you a lot of grief later on. Below are just a few tips to help keep adults and kids alike safe from the many dangers lurking in cyberspace.

(1) If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Never, ever give out personal information to anyone you don't know, even if the unsolicited email appears to come from some "official" source like a government agency or some reputable company. Don't reveal your name, address, phone number, social security number, banking or credit card information or your password. If the email looks like it comes from a legitimate source like the government or a company, simply call that agency or corporation to find out. Chances are the email is fake.

(2) Even when shopping online, it is best to buy from stores that you are personally familiar with or have come highly recommended from people you trust. You should know exactly where the company is located and just how long it's been in business and how long it's been operating on the Internet. Again, one phone call or doing a Google search on the company can save you headaches later on. Don't underestimate the power of Google. I've used it countless times to investigate companies or individuals offering too-good-to-be-true deals. And sure enough, most of them turned out to be frauds.

(3) NEVER invite someone you meet online to your residence or give him or her personal information that can be used against you. If you feel you can trust someone enough to meet the person, it is always best to meet in a very public place with lots of people. Even this carries some risk, but isn't nearly as risky as inviting a stranger to your home. Underage kids should NEVER, EVER agree to meet anyone in a public place or anywhere else without the expressed consent of a parent, who should be present at any such meeting.

(4) Speaking of parental consent, adults should not communicate online with children under 18 without a parent's knowledge and approval. Even then, parents should monitor such conversations when possible and make judicious use of parental controls and blocks on the computers used by minors. And computer literate children should be thoroughly schooled on the dangers of online predators. Like adults, children should be carefully instructed not to give out information of any kind to anyone they don't know who contacts them online. If a contact seems suspicious, children should immediately alert their parents or another adult they trust.

(5) I end this short laundry list of precautions the way I started it. If it sounds too good to be true, chances are it is. If you get an email telling you you've won some kind of lottery you never entered, chances are you didn't. If you get an email saying you'll get millions of dollars from someone you don't even know who lives in some foreign country--you won't. If, after reading any unsolicited email offer, your inner voice says to you, "sounds fishy." Listen to that voice. Chances are, you'll be very glad you did later on when you read or hear news stories about other victims who ignored the voice of common sense within.