Protecting Kids and Family Online

Why Family Safety Matters

Children and less tech-savvy family members are often targeted by scammers. They may not recognize the signs of phishing, overshare personal information, or click dangerous links. A few simple measures can protect your entire household.

Age-Appropriate Conversations

Talk to children about online safety in terms they understand:

• Young children: "Only talk to people you know in real life online"
• Tweens: "Not everything online is true. Ask an adult if something seems weird"
• Teens: "Scammers pretend to be friends or companies. Verify before clicking or sharing"

Make it clear they will not be in trouble for asking questions or reporting something suspicious.

Scams That Target Children

Attackers specifically target younger users:

• Gaming scams: Fake free V-Bucks, Robux, or in-game currency
• Fake giveaways: "Win a free iPhone" or gaming console
• Impersonation: Pretending to be friends or influencers
• Survey scams: Asking for personal info in exchange for rewards
• Malware in mods: Fake game modifications that install viruses

Protecting Younger Children

• Use parental controls built into devices and browsers
• Keep devices in common areas where you can supervise
• Use kid-friendly browsers and search engines
• Set up separate user accounts with restricted permissions
• Review app permissions and installed software regularly

Protecting Teens

• Teach them to recognize phishing and social engineering
• Discuss the permanence of online posts and photos
• Help them set up strong passwords and 2FA
• Encourage them to keep social media accounts private
• Explain that strangers online may not be who they claim

Protecting Older Family Members

Seniors are heavily targeted by scammers:

• Explain common scams: tech support, lottery, grandparent scams
• Set up call blocking for spam calls
• Install browser protection like RedPhish
• Create a simple rule: "If you did not expect it, verify before acting"
• Be available to answer questions without judgment

Family Safety Settings

Browser-Level Protection

• Enable Safe Search in Google, Bing, and other search engines
• Turn on restricted mode in YouTube
• Use browser extensions that block adult content and scam sites

Device-Level Protection

• Apple: Screen Time and parental controls in Settings
• Android: Family Link for children's accounts
• Windows: Microsoft Family Safety
• Chromebook: Family Link integration

What to Do If Something Goes Wrong

• Stay calm and supportive. Blaming discourages reporting.
• Document what happened (screenshots, messages)
• Change passwords for any compromised accounts
• Report the incident to the platform and authorities if needed
• Use it as a learning opportunity

Key Takeaways

• Have ongoing conversations about online safety
• Use age-appropriate parental controls
• Teach recognition of common scams
• Make it safe to ask questions and report problems
• Protect all family members, including seniors