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This is Harikiwi, informing people about the dangers that exist on the World
Wide Web.
I have seen too many people give out their MSN addresses on Whyville, still
thinking that no harm could come of it because they feel like they know the
person. But the reality is, your "friend" on Whyville could be the exact
opposite. They might say that they are 15/F, but truthfully they could be 40/M.
And even if they really are a 15-year-old girl, that doesn't mean they are safe
or can be trusted.
I'm not saying all people are like that, but you still should be informed about
the dangers of giving out personal information. For example, giving your MSN
address out -- there are a numbers of ways that is dangerous.
A person could fairly easily track the computer you are using and find out a lot
about you through your MSN profile. That profile has all of your personal
information, so it would be easy to find you.
I will tell you a story of how giving out even the smallest piece of information
can put you in danger. This story is 100% true.
A retired police officer knew how dangerous chat was. But he saw many children
carelessly giving out personal information without even realizing it. So, to
teach a lesson to the children, he went onto chat, pretended he was a
15-year-old boy, and immediately started chatting with a 15-year-old girl. All
she told him was what city she lived in, and when she told him she played
basketball, he asked what number she was and her team name and she told him.
That's all. The city, the sport, team name and number.
Using this information, the retired cop found out when and where she played and
went to go see one of her games. He followed her home and explained to her
parents what he had done.
Even if you don't give out that much information, people online can still find
you. Pretty scary, huh?
Now, many Whyvillians will be reading this and saying to themselves, "That could
never happen to me."
Sw33t3r4u probably said it to herself as well, but then it happened. I
had an interview with Sw33t3r4u and she told me her stroy.
Harikiwi: Hello Sw33t3r4u. How are you doing today?
Sw33t3r4u: Just fine, thanks.
Harikiwi: If you could, do you think that you could share your
mishap with the readers of the Whyville Times so they can realize the dangers of
today's chat?
Sw33t3r4u: Sure. This all happened a while back, probably two
months ago. I logged onto Whyville, as I do pretty much everyday, and I started
talking to another Whyvillian. They asked me questions, all of which I answered.
Harikiwi: What were some of the questions?
Sw33t3r4u: He asked me my age, what city I lived in, what school I
went to, and other similar questions. I answered them all. Around a week later,
I started getting phone calls from someone I didn't know. When I was home alone
while my parents were shopping, a man I didn't know kept coming up to my door
and ringing the doorbell. When I didn't answer, he started banging on the door
and cursing me. After this kept happening, I told my parents. We notified the
police and the next time he came, the police caught him. He had told me he was a
13 year old guy, but he turned out to be 47 years old! We had to change our
phone number and I wasn't allowed back on Whyville for a month. But I sure
learned my lesson!
And that concludes my article. I feel that this should be taken seriously, and
that eveyone should be well aware of the dangers. Have a nice summer, everyone,
and take care!
Author: Harikiwi
Editor's Note: If what Sw33t3r4u described really happened in
Whyville, I hope that some of our citizens used our 911 report tool right away!
NO ONE should EVER be allowed to ask what school you go to here in Whyville, or
anywhere online. That's absolutely inappropriate, no matter how safe it might be
to ask in "real life". Use the 911 report tool to protect yourself and others!
Thanks for your warnings and advice, Harikiwi!
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