okay so we all know how much the internet is used today and we know that it can be a safety risk.
A few days ago i was reading the story of Carly Ryan and it was quite interesting.
I thought because of how much i use the internet and how much the rest of the world uses it too especially websites like Facebook and my-space I'd do a post about Carly Ryan with her story and a few safety tips. So bare with me.

Carly's Story

In 2006 Carly Ryan thought she had met her dream boyfriend online. His name was Brandon Kane, a 20yr old musician from Melbourne. Brandon was in fact fictitious. An internet construct, the cyberspace alter ego of Gary Francis Newman, a 50yr old predator and paedophile. Carly fell in love with the Brandon construct during months of online contact and phone calls.
Gary Newman took on another identity when he attended Carly's 15th birthday that of Brandon's adopted father "Shane". In that guise, he attempted to gain the trust of Carly's mum, Sonya, and continued to deceive Carly, buying her gifts and promising to bring Brandon to Adelaide to meet her.
Gary Newman spent months masquerading as Brandon Kane to win Carly's love. When he tried to seduce her in person pretending to be Brandon's father "Shane" saying that Brandon wouldn't mind if his dad had sex with her, she rejected him. Angry, Gary Newman returned to Melbourne vowing to "fix Carly up." He used his alter ego to lure Carly to a final, fatal meeting.


READ THE REST OF CARLY'S STORY AT carly's story

When Online Keep In Mind...

Profile Passwords are yours, don’t share them they can be used against you!
Make your profile private
Consider who will see the profile photos you post. You may think your pose is ”hot” but it may draw some unwanted attention
Don’t bother responding to nasty or suggestive messages
Never hesitate to BLOCK individuals who make you feel uncomfortable online
If someone offers you something that seems to good to be true it probably is.... WATCH OUT!
Would you give your personal information to a stranger on the street? i.e phone numbers, addresses, school names or locations, places of employment etc People online are strangers too! Never put these details on your profile
Be selective of the “friends” you add on Myspace, Facebook and other social networking sites. Only add people you know personally. Your personal profile is not a popularity contest. How many of your “friends” do you actually know. Is it worth the risk?
Have you ever added someone just for the “count” or that you think is “super cute”? Are they really who they say they are? It is not uncommon for predators to steal the identities of people in the public eye eg. musicians, celebrities and popular professionals. Fake profiles can be used to lure you
Why participate in cyber-bullying? It’s nasty and no different to the school yard

READ MORE AT safety tips