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Better Business Bureau issues warning for web use

Scammers targeting children during pandemic
Posted at 10:24 PM, Aug 18, 2020
and last updated 2020-08-19 01:25:43-04

TUCSON, Ariz. — The Better Business Bureau released a warning for parents to help keep kids safe and information secure.

While Americans continue to deal with the pandemic, there is one change that millions of families are managing every day -- and that’s a life of work and school online.

BBB spokesperson Sean Herdrick says adults have to keep a closer eye on what’s happening online especially with more kids logged on throughout the day. He says kids are more vulnerable and clicking on a simple link can do a lot of damage.

“What it unknowingly does is it opens up all of that information that you have stored whether its payment or private information that you really don’t want out there,” Herdrick said.

The BBB also says you should:

  • Watch out for new social media accounts
  • Beware of contest and giveaways
  • Pay attention to apps and file sharing sites to download videos for free

All of these warnings are key because scammers are using those methods to track and skim your personal information.

Another security measure is to never share your location.

"The biggest thing is to know where your kids are going and keep track of what apps they’re downloading. They will pop up ads and inadvertently they’re connecting to your account and they can rack up huge bills in a month that you’re not expecting,” Herdrick said.

For more information from the BBB, click here.