Staying safe online

The vast majority of people using these types of sites are sincere and honest in the information they provide and in their reasons for joining. However, there are exceptions and you need to be aware of how to keep yourself protected while meeting people through websites. 

• Never disclose private information that hasn’t been requested specifically on sites
• Be very careful about how and when you meet people in person
• Take every precaution that profiles you are looking at are genuine
• Never be tempted to send or transfer money to people you meet online, however unfortunate their story

Follow this advice to search for jobs and place adverts safely online.

Be as anonymous as possible:

• Choose a username that doesn’t let everyone know who you are. Don't include your surname or any other identifying information such as your home address or place of work either in your profile or when you first make contact.
• Keep contact details private, we only ask for your email address for contact purposes. You might find it helpful to set up a new email address when employing someone.
• Stay in control when it comes to how and when you share information. Don't include all of your contact information such as your home address, or phone number in your profile or initial communications. Your contact information can only be viewed by those registered to the site, see the privacy notice for further information. Take things slowly and only share more information when you feel comfortable doing so. It is impossible to get back information once you have given it away.
• Stop communicating with anyone who attempts to pressure you into providing your personal or financial information or who seems to be trying to trick you into providing it. If you have concerns or want to report a safeguarding matter, you should contact Hampshire County Council's Adults Health and Care team on 0300 555 1386.
  
  Further information about the Out of Hours service.

Password & Security:

• Be careful when accessing your account from a public or shared computer so that others can't view or record your password or personal information.
• Be wary of opening email attachments from someone you have only just met.
• Ensure that you keep your internet security software up to date.

• Get to know people, take your time and trust your instincts. Act with caution and learn more about someone before contacting them. Think about creating a separate and anonymous email address for this site.

  Be responsible and do your own research:

  • The website provider does not have the ability to check the backgrounds of users and verify the information that they provide. They cannot carry out a Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) check, this will be down to the individual employer. Therefore, do not get a false sense of security because you're on this website; do your own research to learn more about someone and make informed decisions before you decide to meet for an interview.
  • Check to see if the person whose profile you have viewed is on other social networking sites like Facebook, do a web search to see if there are other records of the person online, and if possible use Google image search to check the profile photos.

  Money requests are a warning sign:

  • There is no reason for anyone to ask you for money or your financial information, whatever story they give. Always keep your bank and account information private. Stop all contact immediately and report the matter to the police.

  Report unacceptable or suspicious behaviour:

  • Nobody should have to put up with offensive, insulting or threatening behaviour online any more than they should or would if talking to someone in person. Trust your instincts and immediately stop communicating with anyone who makes you feel uncomfortable or apprehensive.
  • Never feel embarrassed to report a problem to the site provider. You are helping them and doing other users a favour. You are helping them and other future website users.

Be smart and stay safe. Even if you feel you think you know someone through contact via email, you should still remember that this person is largely a stranger to you. Therefore, it is important that when meeting someone in person for an interview, you take precautions.

You should meet someone in a public place for example, a cafe, or your local library and consider taking a family member or friend with you.

Sadly, people aren't always what they seem. Scammers want one thing and one thing only – money.

Here are a few examples of common scammer behaviours to watch out for and report:

• Requests for money - Be wary of requests of money from people you don't know, or have only just met. Scammers will look to gain your sympathy with the stories they tell.

• Threats and blackmail - Some scammers have tried to threaten money out of people.

Advice for avoiding scammers

• Never ever respond to a request for money.

• Never give out bank account or other details.

• Beware of stories that try to gain your sympathy - someone telling you how much they want to visit you but need a loan to pay for the ticket/visas. Or stories about a desperately ill family member who needs help with medical expenses.

• Notice if a contact seems out of touch: people offering foreign numbers for contact, people who seem not to be aware of things happening in the UK – events, or the weather, or people who want or need to send messages at unusual hours.

• Be wary if someone seems vague in their communication about their interests, or may often repeat things or seem disconnected.

• Don’t be afraid to ask a friend – If a contact starts to feel strange and especially if money gets raised you might ask a friend or relative if you are not at a point where you think there is something to report.