5 Ways Parents can Protect Children from Cybercriminals

The internet can be terrifying for your children. Children can be exposed to cybercriminals without protection and parental supervision. Here are some of the different ways cybercriminals attack children from luring children through the use of apps to steal images from the accounts of parents.

1. Online Sharing of Personal Information

Many parents do not know that their children may be victims of identity fraud. You’re not even going to know much of the time that a child’s identity was stolen until issues occur. Years later, they could apply for their first credit line or get a university loan. Only then will they discover that a cybercriminal has run up debts on their behalf, and a child has already borrowed a million dollars.
 
It’s scary and even scarier since their parents shared so much information online, your child could take years to recover. Children have clean slates to encourage cybercriminals to take loans, open credit card accounts and even apply for a property for sale.
 
One of the signs that your child has been a victim of identity fraud is that they receive e-mail from a debt collection service. You may have a credit report already.
 

Protecting your kid

The good news is that your children can be shielded from this form of robbery. Limit publicly shared knowledge and warn your child about the risks of over-sharing.
 

2. Fake Gaming Applications

Many hackers use fake game apps to drag children down to their computers to download malware. They also use famous titles to trick children into downloading fake software applications. Some of these apps are an early version of the game, a new edition, or a helpful guide
 
They can contain a variety of malware that allows hackers to collect login and bank details or spy on your business. Some of them can provide hackers with remote access to your computer and operate without your knowledge.
 
Often downloading the fake app could redirect your child to a malicious site where other files are requested to be downloaded. These also have undefined names or extensions of files.
 

Protecting your kid

Make sure your child uses apps only from the official app store. In official stores, apps are tested until they appear. Please be aware Android users can download fraudulent software from other app stores. Jailbroken iPhones may also bypass approved facilities and should be avoided.
 
Protect your children by activating limits, requesting a password or a download or purchase authorisation and setting up parental controls on your home computer.
 

3. Apps for Social Media

Cyber creeps also link to children via social media. Although some claim to be someone else by practising catfishing, others use “online treatment.” This can take a short or long time to gain the confidence of a child.
 
You child can at first receive an innocent invitation to interact. Then the predator starts to inquire about the day of the child or about what he or she likes. They would also encourage the child to keep its conversations hidden and then learn about vulnerabilities for abuse.
 
They can send sexual messages covered up as compliments, then coax children into sexualised photos. They may also chase children into sex by threatening to give images, that the children have already sent, to friends and family. In extreme situations, this can lead to real-life meetings.
 
And worst, most social media applications will use the location of the user. This means that a predator knows where the child is and knows habits and routines, i.e. when the child goes to school.
 

Protecting your kid

This is incredibly terrifying because it protects your children by privately configuring their social media accounts. Esteem and knowledge go a long way, so talk about this kind of scam. Make sure you understand the effects of sharing personal details and photographs.
 

4. Pictures Parents Share Online

Digital abduction is a danger that many parents do not know is there. It is achieved by stealing a picture of a child and using it on other pages to say that the child is theirs. This could lead to role play for infants.
 
Roller babies create fake accounts using stolen images, give new identities to these babies, and place fabricated information in captions. Strangers will then impersonate them by answering the children’s comments. While some words are not malicious, others can be very upsetting.
 
You might also be able to expose your children to paedophiles by sharing images online. These criminals steal pictures from the accounts of parents and post them on pages of sexual exploitation or paedophile groups. And children’s photographs of everyday items can be twisted into sexual appearance and used for online child pornography.
 

Protecting your kid

Parents should always review their accounts’ privacy settings to ensure they only share child images with trusted friends and family.
 

5. Chat-in Games

You can make your child’s PlayStation, Xbox, or Nintendo Switch online open to game predators. They use the characteristics of online multi-player video games as their new hunting ground.
 
They also pose as children to gain the trust of their victims. The children are then coerced to send sexually explicit images and videos, to share personal information or to meet in person.
 

Protecting your kid

Set up parental controls on the console of your child. You may set playtime limit or restrict communication and content created by the user. You can prevent your child from interacting with other players through messages, chat and game invitations. You can also block other players’ videos, pictures or text.
 

Take Charge

The internet is full of evil cybercriminals who see your child as an easy target. Your role as a parent is to ensure that your children are safe when they go online. Apart from setting parental controls and testing privacy settings periodically, it is crucial that you actively communicate online risks to your children.
 
Talk to them and update them regularly. Please pay attention to their body language, because it could tell you something that they can keep from you. Let them know that whatever happens, they can turn to you.