The Wyoming, MN Police Department shared a list of Early Signs to Recognize an Online Predator.

"We meet so many people online and sometimes it’s really hard to recognize online predators," the Wyoming, MN PD shared to Facebook Wednesday. "They don’t stand out at first, and can seem just like anyone else. They use fake accounts with fake pictures and fake information, and sometimes it’s impossible to know who you’re really talking to."

The PD went on to share a list of 15 early signs to recognize an online predator, encouraging parents or guardians to discuss them with their kids.

  1. They Pry for Information – They want to know your full name, gender, birth date, address, friends’ names, and where you go to school so they can find you.
  2. They Always Agree with You – No matter what you say, they feel the exact same way. It’s an attempt to win you over and gain your complete trust.
  3. They Try to Pressure You into Meeting – They are constantly bugging you about meeting up as soon as possible.
  4. They Ask a Lot of Questions – They want to know about your friends, what you did at school, your favorite color, and everything else about you.
  5. They Swoon over You – They constantly tell you how important you are to them very early on.
  6. They Try to Turn You against Other People – They will tell you that your family and friends don’t appreciate you the way they do.
  7. They Know Things about You – They tell you things about yourself that you know you didn’t tell them. They were clearly stalking your social networks.
  8. They Monitor Your Online Activities – They keep an eye on you when you’re online. They are controlling and want to know where you’ve been when you’re not online.
  9. Their Stories Don’t Add Up – Maybe their stories don’t make sense or maybe they say they’re a teenager, but they’ve said things that make them seem older.
  10. They Offer You Gifts – If someone offers you presents or money, they are either hoping for your address or something in return.
  11. They Ask You for Pictures – They might even send you pictures of them. Keep in mind that those pictures could be of anybody. They aren’t necessarily of them.
  12. They Stalk You Online – They message you several times a day on all of your social networks, and show up on every website you go to.
  13. They Make Uncomfortable Comments – They start making sexual comments or comments that make you feel uncomfortable.
  14. They Ask You to Lie – They ask you to lie to your parents or someone important to you. Later, they will use that lie to blackmail you.
  15. They Stalk Your Family and Friends – They go through your friends on your social networks and start adding them to their own lists.

The Facebook post concludes with advice for anyone finds him- or herself who thinks they may be interacting with a predator.

"...end the conversation and block them immediately. If they continue to stalk you, tell someone and get help."

Button pink
loading...

More From Mix 94.9