Resources: Technology Instruction: Internet Safety

Overview

This page is a summary of information from the Avoiding Scams and Frauds class. As a general rule, if you ever see anything suspicious on the internet or don't know what it is asking you- don't click it!! Ask a trusted person to help you decide if it is trustworthy. You can ask the reference desk at the library!

The box of AI-related games will help you learn to recognize when content has been AI-generated. Not all AI content is misleading or false, but it's good to know what to look for when things may be trying to use AI to trick you.

Online Scams

Common Frauds and Scams
Learn about some of the most common frauds and scams that the FBI encounters—as well as tips to help you stay safe and what to do if you're a victim.
Consumer Alerts- Federal Trade Commission
The FTC publishes updated consumer alerts detailing scams going around and how to avoid them
Cybersecurity 101: Best Practices
Cybersecurity information provide by the New Jersey government
Internet Safety article
Safe Browsing site status
Google’s Safe Browsing technology examines billions of URLs per day looking for unsafe websites. You can search to see whether a website is currently dangerous to visit.
Social Media Scams
AARP provides descriptions of common scams and how to protect yourself

Online Scams

Common Types of Scams
Phishing: when scammers use fake emails or text messages to “fish” for information. Features of a fake email or phishing scam:

Lead you to a fake website
Try to win your trust
Claim to be from a real organization
Ask for your information
Promise a lot of money if you give a small amount upfront
Ask you to download an email attachment

Malware: malicious software, is a tool used by scammers that can take many different shapes. Examples:

A fake email used to infect your computer with malware, or a virus as soon as you open the email.
Downloading a fake file that has a virus to infect your computer or “spyware” that tracks your online activities.

Social Engineering:

A person may claim to be:
a friend or family member in trouble.
a company with a great discount or offer.
working on behalf of a government agency, organization or collection agency.
These fraudsters can approach you by phone, email, text or social media

Learning about AI

These games will help you practice prompting and identifying AI-generated content

Odd One Out- Google Arts and Culture
Each round of this game will give you four images, identify which one is AI-generated.
Say What You See- Google Arts and Culture
Each round gives you an image, and you must come up with a prompt to have an AI generate an image that is as similar as possible. This helps you understand the level of detail needed to make AI replicate what you are thinking of.
Guess the Line- Google Arts and Culture
Each round gives you a simple drawing, replicate it well enough that the AI can tell which prompt you were given.
Which Face is Real?
Each set of two faces contains an image of a real person, and one that is completely computer generated. Identifying the real person can be harder than it sounds!
Real or Fake Text?
Analyze lines of text and try to correctly identify the exact line where the text stops being written by a human. This game helps you understand some of the patterns that AI text generation uses.
Real or AI Quiz- Britannica Education
Can you figure out which image in each pair is AI-generated?

Understanding Scams

Passwords

What to Do if You Were Scammed

If you think you were scammed, there are steps to try to reduce the resulting damage. The Federal Trade Commission has a list of scenarios where your money or information may have been compromised and what to do to protect yourself.

What To Do If You Were Scammed | Consumer Advice- Federal Trade Commission