Parenting Tips /

How can I protect my child from online scammers?

A recent survey conducted by Google’s Trust Research team all over Asia-Pacific revealed that 36% of Malaysian parents have children who encountered online scams in the last year, as schools closed and classes moved online during pandemic.

One of the insights that surfaced from the study is that about 72% of Malaysian parents with children attending lessons remotely have expressed increased concerns about online safety.

Create Strong Password

Help your kids to create sensible passwords with a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers and symbols, of at least eight characters in length.

Not to forget to let them know not to share the password!

Educate On Privacy

Guide your kids not to give personally identifiable information online or to strangers.

Sometimes it is essential to let kids understand that not everyone is who they say they are online, thus advise them not to share regular locations or sensitive identifiable information online.

Stick to platforms that have a reputation for user safety

Always install applications from trustworthy sources, best is read user reviews and ratings before downloading. You can also install ad blockers and antivirus/malware protection on family devices.

Use Family Safety Features

As we may not be there to guide them all the time, it is advised to install parental control apps to filter online content, set rules and time schedules on devise usage, and block pornography and other unsuitable content. This is to help guard your kids from content that may not be suitable for their age.

As your children get older and show a better understanding on internet, you can slowly increase their ownership while remaining safe online. Having regular family conversations about the online activities and watching out the contents are always the top safety tips to avoid online scammers.