You don’t have to wander over to the dark web to find bad actors with malicious intent lurking online. The FBI, US state Attorney General’s Office and Buffalo’s US Attorney have been broadcasting reminders about scammers who are stepping up their game during the coronavirus pandemic.

Predators are trying to separate adults from their money, or children from their innocence. While there are technological security protocols and products to help keep the bad guys away, putting common sense to use is the best firewall.

Criminals often prey on the elderly or anyone whose judgment or digital savvy is in question, trying to talk their victims into putting their money into fraudulent investment schemes or overpriced products. With Covid-19 forcing anyone over age 60 into hyper-vigilance about their health, the anxiety can turn sensible people into easy marks for someone promising them a magic immunity booster or a quick and inexpensive test for traces of the virus.

“Ignore any offers for masks or tests,” US Attorney James P. Kennedy Jr. warned. “Don’t click on those emails or, if they’re calling, just hang up on them.”

Parents and anyone else taking care of children these days know the challenges of limiting kids’ screen time and trying to keep them safe, even in normal times. Now, during the pandemic, 48% of children in the US are spending more than six hours a day in front of a screen - a nearly 500% increase from before the crisis - according to a survey conducted by the advocacy group ParentsTogether.

The survey was given to 3,000 respondents, and 85% expressed concern about the amount of time their kids were spending online. Remote learning requires youngsters to be online for several hours a day, which feeds their appetite for more screen time.

ParentsTogether’s report said the platforms and apps most used by kids whose parents completed the survey were: YouTube (78.21%), Netflix (49.64%), and TikTok (33.41%).

“Many survey respondents told stories about the harms their children have encountered online during social isolation, ranging from bullying to sexual predation.”

The FBI issued a recent warning about adults who prey on young people: “Offenders may make casual contact with children online, gain their trust, and introduce sexual conversation that increases in egregiousness over time.

“Ultimately this activity may result in maintaining an online relationship... to eventually physically meeting the child in-person.”

The bureau stresses the importance of discussing Internet safety with children, make sure privacy settings are set to the highest possible level on gaming devices and apps, and “make sure children know that anyone who asks a child to engage in sexually explicit activity online should be reported to a parent, guardian, or other trusted adult and law enforcement”.

Monitoring kids’ online lives is often easier said than done, particularly for distracted parents trying to earn a living or deal with other challenges. Still, experts say that family conversations about the potential harm to kids from online predators are very much worth having. Ignoring the threats won’t make them go away.

 - TNS