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Online predators use the internet to steal personal information or find victims, including children. They may use manipulative techniques to gain trust and extract personal information. Government agencies have created task forces to catch online predators, but consumers should also take precautions to avoid sharing unnecessary information on suspicious websites.
In the modern age of social networking, cyber shopping and online banking, consumers should be wary of the online predator. An online predator is a criminal who uses the Internet to steal personal information or look for victims. Crimes involving online predators include identity theft, stalking, kidnapping and child sexual abuse.
Online predators often prey on people while performing normal tasks in the cyber world of computing. These criminals exploit unsuspecting participants by persuading them to trust and share vital information that can be used for criminal purposes.
Some of the worst criminals on the internet are pedophiles. These online predators typically spend time in chat rooms and social networking sites frequented by children. They normally befriend children with well-practiced manipulative techniques that allow them to get information from unsuspecting children. This information becomes target data that the predator will use to kidnap its victim or lure a vulnerable child into harmful situations.
Identity thieves are another type of online predator. These individuals use a variety of high-tech strategies to extract personal information, account numbers, passwords, and other data from the Internet that allow you to steal your identity. One technique involves creating a fake online storefront designed to trick unsuspecting consumers into providing their personal information to a site they deem to be a legitimate business. Identity thieves can then use that personal financial information for fraudulent purposes.
Cyberstalking and cyberbullying are also crimes of the online predator. This online predator may follow an unsuspecting individual into chat rooms and social networking sites in an attempt to humiliate or defame them. The rise of cyberstalking has become more evident with the extensive use of many social networking sites.
Government agencies have realized the importance of monitoring online crimes. Many government agencies have created task forces to investigate the wide variety of online crimes and catch online predators. Often detectives will lure predators into a trap, leading them to reveal enough information for the authorities to find them. To catch them offline, detectives working undercover convince the predators to reveal details that can be used as evidence and meet them in the real world where the police can arrest the predator.
Online consumers should always take precautions. Children should be taught to avoid conversation with unfamiliar people on the internet. Also, consumers should refrain from sharing unnecessary information on suspicious websites.
