More than a billion people use the Internet, making the web a very enticing place for con artists to strike. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center lists Internet auction fraud as the most-reported offense, comprising 44.9% of referred complaints in 2007.

In the comfort of your own home, shopping on auction sites offers a convenient way to uncover hard-to-find items, compare prices and score some great deals. But when it comes to using online auction sites, a little bit of research can go a long way to protecting yourself from a scammer. When shopping online, always make sure you are dealing with a secure website by checking that the site’s URL contains either https:// or shttp://. You should also check for the padlock icon at the bottom of your browser window Continue reading Outsmart Scammers: Keep Online Auctions from Being a Scammer’s Paradise »

With kids today spending so much time online, it’s incredibly important for parents to know just what their kids are up to. While the Internet can be a great tool for kids to learn and keep up with friends, one of the biggest mistakes kids make online is sharing too much personal information about themselves. It can be incredibly dangerous: many kids think they’re safe because they’re only sharing things with their friends, but they may not realize that there could be other people accessing their details as well.

The experts at the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) offer tips that can help you talk to your kids about how to make their time online safer. Continue reading Talking To Your Kids About Online Safety »

by John Walsh

I’ve spoken out many times about the Internet’s “dark side” – about how sick predators use online technology to hunt their victims. But sex predators aren’t the only ones targeting our children online. Bullying has always been a problem for kids, but now some out-of-control youngsters do their menacing online. It’s called Cyberbullying. These bullies use social networking sites, cell phone text messages, instant messages and emails to hurt or embarrass other kids. They know how to make themselves anonymous in their attacks, so the targeted kids often don’t even know who’s hurting them. Continue reading There’s Nothing Funny About A Cyberbully »

Almost nobody is immune to the common cold, but there are some things you can do to protect yourself.

According a report by federal researchers, the common cold costs Americans nearly $40 billion each year in missed work and school days, doctor visits and various medications. But when you’re all stuffed up and unable to fall asleep – or worse, comforting a sick child – you feel like you’d do anything for the symptoms to lighten up. Since the common cold is a virus (which means it’s not vulnerable to antibiotics), the best approach to fighting cold viruses is to avoid getting them. Early to Rise, a health-based non-profit, offers these tips Continue reading Avoid Catching A Cold This Season »