online caution

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   I don't know if this is true, but it is definitely with in the realm of
possibilities and worth the read. Our children need to be all so careful when
communicating online, whether its a chat room, or IM. Things are not all ways
as they appear.

Bro. Fitzgerel



   Shannon could hear the footsteps behind her as she walked toward
   home.  The thought of being followed made her heart beat faster.
 
   "You're being silly," she told herself, "no one is following you."
 
   To be safe, she began to walk faster, but the footsteps kept up with
   her pace.  She was afraid to look back and she was glad she was
   almost home.  Shannon said a quick prayer, "God please get me home
   safe."  She saw the porch light burning and ran the rest of the way to
  her house. Once inside, she leaned against the door for a moment,
   relieved to be in the safety of her home. She glanced out the window to
  see if anyone was there.  The sidewalk was empty.  After tossing her books
  on the sofa, she decided to grab a snack and get on-line.  She logged on
   under her screen name ByAngel213.  She checked her Buddy List and
   saw GoTo123 was on.  She sent him an instant message:
   ByAngel213: Hi I'm glad you are on!  I thought someone was following
   me home today.  It was really weird!
 
   GoTo123: LOL You watch too much TV.  Why would someone be
   following you?  Don't you live in a safe neighborhood?
 
   ByAngel213: Of course I do.  LOL I guess it was my imagination
   cuz'  I didn't see anybody when I looked out.
 
   GoTo123: Unless you gave your name out on-line.  You haven't done
   that have you?
 
   ByAngel213: Of course not.  I'm not stupid you know.
 
   GoTo123: Did you have a softball game after school today?
 
   ByAngel213: Yes and we won!!
 
   GoTo123: That's great!  Who did you play?
 
   ByAngel213: We played the Hornets.  LOL.  Their uniforms are so
   gross! They look like bees.   LOL
 
   GoTo123: : What is your team called?
 
   ByAngel213: We are the Canton Cats.  We have tiger paws on our
   uniforms.  They are really kewl.
 
   GoTo123: Did you pitch?
 
   ByAngel213:: No I play second base.  I got to go.  My homework
   has to be done before my parents get home.  I don't want them mad at
   me.  Bye
 
   GoTo123: Catch you later.. Bye
 
   Meanwhile......
 
   GoTo123 went to the member menu and began to search for her
   profile.  When it came up, he highlighted it and printed it out.  He
   took out a pen and began to write down what he knew about Angel so far.
           Her name: Shannon
           Birthday: Jan. 3, 1985
           Age:13
          State where she lived: North Carolina
          Hobbies: softball, chorus, skating and going to the mall.
 
   Besides this information, he knew she lived in Canton because she
    had just told him.  He knew she stayed by herself until 6:30 p.m.
   every afternoon until her parents came home from work.  He knew
   she played softball on Thursday afternoons on the school team, and the
   team was named the Canton Cats.  Her favorite number 7 was printed on
  her jersey.  He knew she was in the seventh grade at the Canton Junior
   High School.
 
   She had told him all this in the conversations they had on-line.
   He had enough information to find her now.
 
   Shannon didn't tell her parents about the incident on the way home
   from the ball park that day.  She didn't want them to make a scene
   and stop her from walking home from the softball games.  Parents
   were always overreacting and hers were the worst.  It made her wish
   she was not an only child. Maybe if she had brothers and sisters, her
   parents wouldn't be so overprotective.
 
   By Thursday, Shannon had forgotten about the footsteps following
   her. Her game was in full swing when suddenly she felt someone
   staring at her.  It was then that the memory came back.  She glanced up
   from her second base position to see a man watching her closely.  He was
   leaning against the fence behind first base and he smiled when she
   looked at him.  He didn't look scary and she quickly dismissed the fear 
   she had felt.
 
   After the game, he sat on a bleacher while she talked to the coach.
   She noticed his smile once again as she walked past him.  He nodded
   and she smiled back.  He noticed her name on the back of her shirt.  He
   knew he had found her.  Quietly, he walked a safe distance behind
   her.  It was only a few blocks to Shannon's home, and once he saw where
   she lived He quickly returned to the park to get his car.  Now he had
  to wait.  He decided to get a bite to eat until the time came to go to
   Shannon's house.  He drove to a fast food restaurant and sat there until
   time to make his move.
 
   Shannon was in her room later that evening when she heard voices
   in the living room.  "Shannon, come here," her father called.  He
   sounded upset and she couldn't imagine why.  She went into the room to
   see the man from the ballpark sitting on the sofa.  "Sit down," her
  father began, "this man has just told us a most interesting story about
you."
 
   Shannon moved cautiously to a chair across from the man.  How could
   he tell her parents anything?  She had never seen him before today!
 
   "Do you know who I am Shannon?"  The man asked.
 
   "No," Shannon answered.
 
   "I am a police officer and your online friend, GoTo123."
 
   Shannon was stunned.  "That's impossible!  GoTo is a kid my age!
   He's 14 and he lives in Michigan!"
 
   The man smiled.  "I know I told you all that, but it wasn't true.
   You see Shannon there are people on-line who pretend to be kids; I
   was one of them. But while others do it to find kids and hurt them, I
   belong to a group of parents who do it to protect kids from predators.
  I came here to find you to teach you how dangerous it is to give out too
   much information to people on-line.  You told me enough about yourself
   to make it easy for me to find you.  Your name, the school you went to,
   the name of your ball team and the position you played.  The number
   and name on your jersey just made finding you a breeze."
 
   Shannon was stunned.  "You mean you don't live in Michigan?"
 
   He laughed.  "No, I live in Raleigh.  It made you feel safe to think
   I was so far away, didn't it?" She nodded.
 
   "I had a friend whose daughter was like you.  Only she wasn't as
   lucky.  The guy found her and murdered her while she was home
   alone.  Kids are taught not to tell anyone when they are alone, yet
   they do it all the time on-line.  The wrong people trick you into giving
   out information a little here and there on-line.  Before you know it,
  you have told them enough for them to find you without even realizing you
   have done it.  I hope you've learned a lesson from this and won't do it
  again."
 
   "I won't," Shannon promised solemnly.
 
   "Will you tell others about this so they will be safe too?"
 
   "It's a promise!"  That night Shannon and her dad and Mom all knelt
   down together and prayed. They thanked God for protecting Shannon
   from what could have been a tragic situation.
 
   *********************
   Please send this to as many people as you can to
   teach them not to give any information about
   themselves.  This world we live in today is too
   dangerous to even give out your age, let alone
   anything else.
 
   Be safe.
 
   PLEASE PASS THIS ON!