Subject: Online Safety – Protecting Yourself and Your Family

Never share personal information publicly, including your home address, phone number, school, date of birth or passwords.

Be mindful of what you post on social media. Photographs, check-ins and location tags can reveal more about you than you realise.

Make sure your social media accounts are set to private where appropriate.

Never share passwords with friends or strangers.

Use strong, unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication wherever possible.

Be cautious about sharing photographs of children, school uniforms or anything that identifies where you live or regularly visit.

Be suspicious of unexpected emails, text messages, phone calls and social media messages.

Never click on suspicious links or open unexpected attachments.

Do not provide bank details, passwords or security codes in response to unsolicited messages.

Be wary of messages claiming you have won a prize, need to pay a fee, or must act urgently to avoid losing money.

Never transfer money or purchase gift cards because someone online asks you to.

Always check that websites are genuine before entering payment details.

If something feels suspicious, stop and check before taking any action.

Remember that not everyone online is who they claim to be.

Never agree to meet someone you have only spoken to online without involving a trusted adult.

Do not accept friend or follow requests from people you do not know.

Think carefully before posting comments, photographs or videos. Once something is online, it can be difficult to remove.

Never send intimate images or photographs under pressure.

If someone makes you feel uncomfortable, block and report their account and speak to someone you trust.

Ask personal questions or want to know where you live or go to school.

Encourage you to keep conversations secret.

Offer gifts, money or rewards in exchange for photographs or information.

Ask for inappropriate photographs or attempt to move conversations onto private platforms.

Threaten, manipulate or blackmail someone into doing something they do not want to do.

Treat others online with the same respect you would expect face-to-face.

Never send threatening, abusive or humiliating messages.

Do not share or forward embarrassing photographs or videos of others.

If you experience cyberbullying, save evidence, block the individual and report the behaviour.

Speak to a parent, carer, teacher or another trusted adult.

Check privacy and communication settings on gaming platforms.

Be careful when speaking to people you do not know through headsets or chat functions.

Never share account details or passwords.

Be cautious of free downloads, cheats, rewards and offers that require you to click unknown links.

Make sure parental controls and spending restrictions are enabled where appropriate.

Discuss who children are playing with and what information they are sharing.

Talk regularly with your children about what they do online and who they communicate with.

Know which apps, games and social media platforms they are using.

Check age restrictions and privacy settings.

Use parental controls where appropriate.

Encourage children to tell you if something online makes them uncomfortable.

Lead by example by practising good online safety yourselves.

Identity theft: Criminals can use personal information to impersonate you, open accounts or commit fraud.

Fake profiles: People may create accounts pretending to be someone else to gain trust or obtain information.

Sextortion: Individuals may threaten to share intimate images unless money or further images are provided.

Misinformation: Not everything shared online is true. Check information before believing it or sharing it.

Hate crime and discrimination: Abusive, threatening or discriminatory behaviour online should never be ignored.

Artificial intelligence (AI): Fake images, videos, voices and messages can be created to impersonate people or deceive others.

Account hacking: Reusing passwords and clicking suspicious links can put your accounts and personal information at risk.

Stop communicating with the individual if it is safe to do so.

Do not send money, further photographs or personal information.

Keep evidence, including screenshots, usernames, messages and transaction details.

Change compromised passwords and enable two-factor authentication.

Contact your bank immediately if you have shared financial information or transferred money.

Report the account or content directly to the relevant social media or online platform.

Report criminal activity to the police.

South Wales Police: Call 101 for non-emergency matters or 999 if someone is in immediate danger or a crime is in progress.

CEOP: www.ceop.police.uk⁠ – Report concerns about online grooming or child sexual exploitation.

Report Fraud: www.reportfraud.police.uk⁠ – Report fraud and cybercrime in England and Wales.

National Cyber Security Centre: www.ncsc.gov.uk⁠ – Advice on protecting yourself from cybercrime.

Childline: 0800 1111 – Support for children and young people.

Suspicious emails: Forward to report@phishing.gov.uk.

Suspicious text messages: Forward to 7726 (free of charge).

Stop before clicking links or sharing information.

Think about who you are talking to and what you are posting.

Check with a trusted adult if something does not feel right.