FBI Philadelphia Provides Back-To-School Tips For A Safe And Successful School Year

 The FBI’s Philadelphia Office released the below information:

As the summer winds down and the school year begins, FBI Philadelphia wants to remind students, parents, and educators of a few important back-to-school cyber safety topics.

“It takes all of us—law enforcement, schools, and the community—to ensure our students are safe as they prepare to return to school,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of FBI Philadelphia. “The FBI remains committed to working with our community to provide information, best practices, and tips to make sure students have the tools they need to have a safe and successful school year.”

Below are a few examples of the risks students may face online, and information to help guide students and parents navigate the cyber landscape. The most important advice for parents is to have open and ongoing conversations about safe and appropriate online behavior.

Hoax Threats:

Hoax threats are no joke. Issuing a threat, via social media, text message, or through email is a federal crime (threatening interstate communications). Individuals who post or send these threats can receive up to five years in federal prison, or they can face state or local charges.

In addition to consequences for the perpetrator, these threats impact students, school personnel, and our communities. Cyber Hygiene: Everyday tasks on your devices—from opening an e-mail attachment, following a link in a text message, or making an online purchase—can open you up to online criminals who want to harm your systems or steal from you. Internet-enabled crimes and cyber intrusions are becoming increasingly sophisticated and preventing them requires good cyber practices. Below are some tips you can follow to protect your data, your connections, and your information:

• Keep systems and software up to date and install a strong, reputable anti-virus program.
• Create a strong and unique passphrase for each online account you hold. Using the same passphrase across several accounts makes you more vulnerable if one account is breached.
• Do not open any attachments unless you are expecting the file or document and have verified the sender’s e-mail address.
• Carefully scrutinize all electronic requests for a payment or transfer of funds.
• Be careful when connecting to a public Wi-Fi network and do not conduct any sensitive transactions, including purchases, when on a public network.

Sextortion:

Sextortion involves an offender coercing a minor to create and send sexually explicit images or videos. An adult offender obtains sexually explicit material from the child, and then threatens to release that compromising material unless the victim produces more. These offenders are seeking sexual gratification. Offenders may also coerce their victims for payment by threatening to release the images unless the victims send money or other compensation through what is called financially motivated sextortion. In financially-motivated sextortion, victims are typically males between the ages of 14 to 17, but any child can become a victim.

These crimes can lead victims to self-harm and has led to suicide. From October 2021 to March 2023, the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations received over 13,000 reports of online financial sextortion of minors. The sextortion involved at least 12,600 victims—primarily boys—and led to at least 20 suicides.

If you or someone you know believes that they are a victim of sextortion or financially motivated sextortion, immediately report the activity to law enforcement. You can report it to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or visiting tips.fbi.gov.

FBI Philadelphia can be reached at 215-418-4000.