Think Before You Click - Is That Free Coffee or a Scam?

Today is Safer Internet Day. Yesterday, I published a list of fifteen good resources for teaching Internet safety. This morning I have another resource that can help you and your students safely manage your digital footprints.

Too often I see some of my own Facebook acquaintances fall for things like "Share this post if you like Starbucks and want a $50 gift card." In fact, just last week one of my Facebook acquaintances fell for the "Free Southwest Airlines tickets" scam. While it's true that companies do use Facebook for promotions, if it sounds to good to be true, it probably is. A tell tale sign that a promotion is a scam is if the promotion wants to install an app that asks to access your Facebook information. Unfortunately, not all scams are that obvious. The Better Business Bureau does a good job of keeping track of common social media scams. The next time you see a promotion on Facebook that sounds too good to be true, check the BBB's list of scam alerts before proceeding.