Sextortion is one of the fastest-growing online crimes against minors. The FBI reports that financial sextortion, where a predator tricks a child into sending explicit images, then threatens to leak them unless the victim pays, jumped 20% in a six-month stretch ending in March 2023. From October 2021 to March 2023, the FBI and Homeland …
Phishing scams are among the most common online threats families face today. A scammer sends a message that looks completely real — maybe from a bank, a delivery service, or even a friend — and tries to trick you into clicking a link, downloading a file, or sharing passwords and account numbers. The good news …
One of the hardest parts of keeping kids safe online is this simple truth: the person behind a profile may not be who they say they are. Online predators build trust before they strike, and one of their most common tools is a fake identity. They pose as a teen of a similar age, a …
One weak, reused password is often all it takes for a predator or scammer to reach your family’s accounts. It’s not dramatic or technical to fix. It comes down to two simple habits: make every password long and unique, and turn on two-factor authentication wherever you can. Too many families share the same login across …
There’s no single app or setting that can fully protect a child online. What actually moves the needle, experts agree, is a simple set of family rules — small, consistent boundaries around where and how devices get used. That’s the heart of a practical new guide from the National Cybersecurity Alliance on family tech rules. …
When we talk about online predators, most of us picture a single adult pretending to be someone else. That picture is only half the story. The FBI has flagged a tactic called group grooming, where predators work together in teams to target children online. Here is how it works. Groups of adults pose as kids …
Reports of online enticement targeting kids more than doubled in the first half of 2025. Here’s how predators use financial sextortion, and how to respond.
Kids today don’t just use the internet — they live in it. They game, chat, shop, and socialize there, often with more confidence than the adults around them. But digital fluency is not the same as digital citizenship. A child can navigate an app flawlessly while still clicking risky links, oversharing personal details, or falling …
Screen time arguments. Secret app downloads. Late-night gaming sessions. If any of this sounds familiar, you are not alone — and there is a practical tool that can help. A family technology agreement is a simple written contract between parents and kids that sets clear expectations around device use, online behavior, privacy, and screen time. …
Online grooming is the process by which predators build trust with a child — and often their family — to gain access and control. It is not a single event but a gradual manipulation that can take weeks or months. Understanding how this process works is the first step in preventing it. Predators typically target …