Making sure you teach your kids about online safety is important but you can never be too careful. This can come down to even the way they talk to their friend through text. Here is what to watch out for.
Your kids love Roblox – and so do pedophiles
If your kids play Roblox, listen up. The kids’ gaming platform is also a haven for pedophiles. Take sicko DoctorRofatnik, aka “Doc,” creator of Sonic Eclipse Online, a Roblox game popular with thousands of kids.
In 2020, a player posted messages Doc sent to a 12-year-old on X: “I’ll corrupt you beyond your wildest dreams. Words cannot explain what I want to do with you.” So, Roblox kicked Doc off the platform, but he immediately created new accounts.
Two years later, the FBI finally arrested DoctorRofatnik — 22-year-old Arnold Castillo — who was found with a 15-year-old girl he’d groomed on Roblox.
Castillo had paid an Uber driver $1,000 to take the girl 700 miles from Indiana to his home in New Jersey. The two had sex multiple times in the eight days she’d been missing from her family.
This isn’t an isolated incident. Get this: In 2023 alone, Roblox reported 13,316 instances of child exploitation.
Why can’t Roblox keep out creeps?
Over 40% of Roblox’s 78 million users are under the age of 13, but anonymous adults can play right alongside them. Because Roblox is geared towards kids, it doesn’t ask for real names, phone numbers or email addresses when you sign up. All you need is a date of birth.
Creeps lure in kids through the Roblox chat. They might offer them Robux (the in-game currency) in exchange for naked photos or try to befriend them and meet up in real life.
Since 2018, U.S. police have arrested two dozen predators — including a sheriff’s deputy, a third-grade teacher and a nurse — accused of abducting or abusing victims they’d met on the platform. Some were registered sex offenders.
The scariest part
Even with AI and human moderation measures, Roblox can’t keep up with the sheer volume of creeps. One moderator said her team gets hundreds of escalated reports of inappropriate words and images every single day.
Predators can easily get around moderators by misspelling explicit words or using emojis. They’ll also lure kids off-platform and into less moderated spaces, like Discord and Snapchat.
60-second Google security check to boot hackers and snoops
I’ll never forget the call I took from a woman whose brother was scammed out of over $450,000. I talk to way too many people who’ve been scammed, and in almost all cases, they didn’t realize they were being taken for a ride until it was too late.
Why you should use Google to search for your email address right now
We’ve written a lot of articles about Google searches and online databases. Our online safety is important, and much of that comes down to regulating our searches and learning how to protect ourselves. Tap or click here for seven things to never search for on Google.
Use an Android? Update NOW to fix serious security flaws
Keeping your mobile device updated to the latest operating system version is critical if you value online safety and privacy. New updates tighten your phone’s security, preventing hackers from accessing your data. Sometimes a system update adds more features.
If you had a Parler account, you need to remove it now
Facebook is the largest social media site in the world, with billions of monthly users. It’s also been subject to network outages, data breaches and shady privacy practices. More recently, Facebook has come under fire for putting growth above online safety and allowing misinformation to propagate on the platform.
Check your kid's phone for these apps and remove them NOW
Most parents have to answer this frightening question, eventually. “When is it time to get my kids their own smartphone?”
Their fears are justified because so many things can go wrong when technology and the internet are involved. One example is how tech affects a child’s development. Tap or click here to see how too much screen time changes the way kids’ brains develop.
How to see what the kids are doing on their phones
In this modern world of digital dangers and threats, keeping children safe while online is of the utmost importance to all parents. There are inappropriate websites and apps, cyberbullying, sexting, the risk of internet and digital addiction and worst of all, online predators that your child can be exposed to.
Delete these browser extensions! Popular downloads hiding malware
We’re all looking for ways to be more productive and make getting things done easier. Apps on your devices are a great way to accomplish almost anything you put your mind to. When you’re working on a computer, you’ll want to add browser extensions for the same type of results.
Warning: FBI says sextortion scammers are using this scary new tactic
Of all the scams floating around on the web, sextortion scams are some of the scariest to deal with. When a hacker claims to have intimate photos of you and threatens to post them online, it feels like a total violation of your rights. Thankfully, for the most part, these scams are nothing but bluster.
5 critical reasons you need VPN protection
Do you consider yourself a privacy-conscious person? Are you concerned about your online safety? Well, you’re certainly not alone. The hard truth is by surfing the web or making any transactions online while connected to a network that’s not secure, you’re exposing private info and buying habits for anyone to see.
How to set up parental controls for Apple iPhones, iPads and iPods
If you spend any amount of time online, you know there are dangers lurking around every corner. The number of threats facing us is overwhelming and can be difficult to fend off.
Now imagine trying to navigate the internet as a child. On top of the typical security threats facing adults, kids have to worry about running into bullies, trolls and some nasty people wanting to cause them harm.
FBI warns sextortion scams targeting teens is on the rise; how to protect your kids
A number of bad actors are taking advantage of their anonymity to hurt some of the most vulnerable people on the internet: our kids. Now, government agencies like the FBI are stepping up their game and warning parents about the dangers of child predators and sexploitation online. It’s taken its battle against online predators public and wants everyone to know what to watch out for. Here’s what they said, as well as how you can protect your kids from the worst people on the internet.
New! Tech safety contract for kids (free download)
Modern kids grew up alongside technology, so they often take it for granted. They may not understand digital dangers like scammers, hackers and child predators. That’s why I created this technology contract for kids.
Your data may have been stolen from these 10 companies
Your money is at risk. If you shop online, your ID, your Social Security number, your home address, credit card numbers and passwords are in danger of being stolen by hackers.
It’s a problem that far exceeds your worst fears. There are billions, with a “b,” breached accounts for sale on the dark web.
Manage your online safety on hundreds of sites by getting rid of old accounts
If you’re anything like me, you visit several different websites on any given day. It seems that lately, more sites want you to create an account before you can use their services. That’s fair enough.
For example, companies like Amazon or Etsy need to know things like your email address and physical address so they can send you what you ordered, tracking information, special offers and discounts.
Warning for parents: online safety filters don't work
I know it may feel like the internet is half porn, but the best academic estimates put the number at between 5 and 15 percent. But kids only need to stumble across one page of explicit content to ruin their day.
If you have youngsters in your home and you’re considering or are currently using online filtering programs to keep then away from internet porn, listen up!
Does your teen have a fake account online?
You follow your kids on Instagram and they’ve friended you on Facebook, but is the profile you see the real one they use for all of their online activity? Probably not! Kids are using fake accounts to hide what they’re doing. Does your teen have fake social media profiles you don’t know about?
Secret ways your kids could be hiding nudes on their phones
If you’re a parent or grandparent, you have to read this! Checking up on your kids’ phones is good, but it just doesn’t cut it. You’ll be shocked when I tell you just how many opportunities there are for kids to hide nude photos on their gadgets.
Alarming teen "sexting" lingo every parent should know
Do you have a teen in your family? Then you know how dependent they are on technology. With that come threats that we didn’t experience when we were their age. That’s why it’s so important to familiarize yourself with the codes and lingo that teens use these days to arm yourself and protect them. I’ve compiled the most popular terms in one useful guide.