How to avoid on-line cons targeting your teen workers.
If you think that falling for an on-line scam or trick only happens to someone else? Not so. It can happen to the best of us if, including your teenage workers. While we like to think that our teenage workers are always working, often they are on-line looking for free content… While on-site at various types of business, I’ve seen younger workers doing all of the following when they are supposed to be working:
- Visiting on-line dating sites.
- Downloading music and videos from file sharing sites.
- Playing video games.
- Visiting alternative lifestyle sites that may have dubious content.
Teenagers often fall prey to any not-so-nice intentions, here are some telltale signs that could help tip off an apparent cons:
Free music, free movies, free everything: Everyone loves free stuff. And some music bands and app developers are hip to this. Temporary giveaways, or apps that are free with in-app purchases, are popular. But beware of the illegal downloads found in the dark corners of the Internet. They can lead to real trouble.
Here’s the reality: If your teen worker is downloading gigabytes of illegally obtained copyrighted material, you could wind up paying in more ways than one. Even if you manage to escape legal action from the copyright holders, the downloaded content could secretly harbor malware. This includes software that could log your keystrokes, send spam, and more. The risk isn’t worth it. Speak to your workers about this.
They’re going to be rich (maybe): Teens and the promise of getting lots of money can cause logic to fly out the window. It’s an offer akin to dangling a carrot on a stick: Do X to get Y. And X usually tends to involve wiring money to strangers. Here’s the reality: If you’ve really won or inherited a large sum of money, or if that fabulous work-from-home job offer is legitimate, why would you need to pay money to get it? If you get an email like this, delete it. Don’t respond, as you’ll only alert the scammers that they have a live email address.
The “perfect” on-line date: The Internet has opened up a whole new avenue to teen dating. But is it safe?
It depends. There are those who use dating sites in an earnest attempt to find that special someone, and there are those who are merely looking to scam others. What’s the usual tip-off to the latter? Money.
Again. Here’s the real deal: Scammers on dating sites have changed the old tactics of posting a model’s photo with an impossibly great bio to something more down to earth. They’ll send emails for a while, engaging your teen worker with friendly conversation—only to bring up needing money later. Supposedly, the person’s parent or grandparent is sick (so he/she says). Most likely, this is just part of the con routine. If this happens, report it to the on-line dating site’s administrators and discuss it with your family.
Deals too good to be true: Many teens thrive on being popular in school. This often connotes fitting in with the newest, latest, and greatest clothes and technology. But these things don’t come cheaply, which is why scams involving “free” smart-phones; loans with no credit check; and high school or college diplomas you can buy (although worthless) still lure plenty of people into their trap.
Here’s the reality: To adults, these deals may seem highly suspect, but teens don’t have a great deal of life experience yet — something that scammers use to their advantage. Talk to your workers Let them know these cons are out there and specifically targeting them. It would be great if the Internet were nothing but hugs and kittens, but it isn’t. Teen-aged workers may act grown up, but in most cases they aren’t. While part of this is a training issues, they still need guidance. Better yet, for some of your workers, you may want to consider restricting Internet access for specific users or groups of users.
If you need assistance with this, please contact the CCS Retail Systems Support Department.
John