Help your kids avoid spam!

Spam is the computer version of junk mail – so all those catalogues and pizza vouchers that you don't ask for but still wind up in your mail box are exactly the same in the online world – mail you don't ask for that ends up in your inbox. It can be anything from a Nigerian requesting to transfer their money into your bank account, to advertisements espousing the benefits of Viagra.

The bottom line is that most spam can carry viruses to harm your computer, or contain explicit material or are an attempt at fraud (fraud attempts are sometimes referred to as "phishing" and can come in the form of a fake email from your bank requesting your details). Definitely something to be avoided by you and your children!

So how can you and your children avoid getting spam?

• Be very wary of who you give your email address out to. Spammers collect email addresses disclosed on public websites, so before you give your details to anyone make sure you know who they really are.
• Avoid posting your email address in chat rooms or on social networking sites – you might know those in the group, but you won't necessarily know who else has access.
• Have a generic email address set up – when you do need to publish contact details, you may want to use an address that you won't be so worried about should it be flooded with spam.
• Be careful when filling in forms online – many spammers (and also legitimate websites) collect personal information, including email addresses, via online registration forms. Make sure you read and understand the entire form before submitting any personal information, particularly one that's unfamiliar to you. You should also check the privacy policy of any site that asks for personal information. Make sure it states that your details will not be passed on to anyone else or used to send you unsolicited email.

• Check the sender and subject details – if you don't recognise them, play it safe and hit delete. The best thing to do is delete spam messages without opening them.
• Pay very close attention to any email that asks you to send back your customer details, or takes you to a website that requires you to enter these details. If you are in any way uncertain about the message's legitimacy, contact the institution involved using other means – preferably by telephone – to confirm that the message was legitimate. Your bank will never contact you in this way.

So take a bit of care with email details, and remember, if an offer looks too good to be true, it probably is!

To find out more about spam and how to deal with it, see www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD