You can report suspicious communication to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre or to the institution that it appears to be from. When browsing, make sure that you use reputable sites and be careful when providing and personal information. You should also understand social media privacy and security settings to protect yourself and your family.

Cybertip

Cybertip has online reporting of child exploitation as well as guides about sexting, bullying, sexual abuse, and Internet safety.

Need Help Now

Need Help Now gives tips and advice to youth if they sent a picture or video and how to deal with it.

ProtectKidsOnline.ca

Protect Kids Online website provides education on online safety that’s geared towards specific age groups.

For Parents

Teach your children to talk to a parent, teacher or trusted adult if they feel uncomfortable about anything they have seen online.

You can use built in parental controls on different devices. Most devices have restrictions and controls to protect privacy and safety.

Email Safety

An unsolicited or junk email that’s not addressed to you and promising some benefit is likely spam. Usually a link in a spam email or fake website installs a virus on your device to capture personal information.

Phishing

Phishing tricks you into revealing personal or banking information. An email or message can look legitimate; however, organizations like banks or the government often do not request personal information by email.

You should contact the financial institution immediately and report your suspicions and never reply to an email that requests your personal information.

Tips on how to spot and avoid phishing scams:

  • Be skeptical if an email asks you to update your information
  • Protect your computer with anti-virus software, spyware filters, email filters and a firewall
  • Look for misspelled words