HOUSTON – With more free time at home, your family is spending more time surfing the internet. but how can they protect themselves from online dangers and scams?
Rania Mankarious, executive director with Crime Stoppers of Houston, shares valuable resources we all need to know.
Scams around Covid-19 are increasing everyday in our communities, and the concern is this people know exactly who to target and they know what to say to which demographic
“So, we’re getting elderly people with phone calls that pretend to want to get someone information, just to make sure they’re not showing signs of signals of the virus, wanting to give them resources. But really, they’re fishing calls, emails, etc,” said Mankarious, who also warned small business owners about being target for this type of scam.
“We’re seeing people specifically targeted using this disaster as coy to get information to further victimize all of us. So we’re urging the public not answer these phone calls, not push these links, not follow these email chains to get information or to give information,” said Mankarious, who stresses the importance of also being vigilant of the usual dangers in the cyberworld, like human trafficking or animal abuse.
“Ask kids, do you understand what to do with the flexibility and the odd freedoms you’re now given, given the fact that we’re all at home,” said Mankarious, who announced that Crime Stoppers of Houston is launching free virtual safety presentations to ensure parents, teachers, students and community member receive critical safety information during this unprecedented time.
Some of the virtual presentations include: Parent’s Guide to Cyber Safety, How to Talk to your Teen About Human Trafficking, Social Isolation and Situational Awareness, Animal Safety or Keeping Students Busy During Social Distancing.
“We are going to keep building that calendar because we want to help families fill up their days and their time with constructive information, said Mankarious, who also mentioned they will be offering these presentations in both English and Spanish.
To see Mankarious complete interview, watch the video above.
And to see the complete list of free presentations, click here.