I can remember as a child the PSA’s (see below for an example) about keeping your kids safe from predators. Times surely have changed in the recent years.  There are plenty of laws that are supposed to keep our kids safe.  Yet it seems that those who desire to hurt our children are coming up with more and more malicious ways using social engineering to lure children into the dark corners of their depravity.

When the stories never cease to amaze you and you think you have seen it all, there comes a story that just seems to defy all logic.  Enters our present story.Prosecutors in New Jersey USA says that Jonathan Prime, a 20-year old man convinced a 13 and 14 year old boy to send him pictures of their genitals.  How?

The two young men where frequent players of the game Call of Duty: World at War on MS Live.  It seems that Jonathan was able to convince the two young boys that it was a condition of the clan he was starting.

This wasn’t a lone incident, he did this to many children.  Many who rejected him but he was able to convince at least four of them by grooming them, getting them to comply and even getting one to call him and have phone sex.

Despite the inherent WTH factor here.  How could these kids fall for this?  How could they believe that this really was a term of the contract?

Those questions are above our scope of our site.  What we will cover is what could parents do to keep safe?  How is it possible to keep your children safe without having to unplug the television and disconnect the Internet?

There are certain things that can be done, but the reason many fall short is these steps don’t involve a plug in or device to keep you safe, but there are two steps that can keep your family safe.

  1. Communication:  Nothing can beat just sitting your kids down and talking with them.  Telling them what is going on in the world and how malicious people think.  Telling them what signs to look for and being involved in their lives.  This can keep them safe.
  2. If kids are going to play online, consider muting all the other players. It is normally possible to only talk to people that are known friends, instead of random strangers. Gaming can be a social event, but best to keep it social to those you know. Parents can use gaming as a chance to do something with their kids. If parents sit down and play games with the kids, they will better understand the potential issues that could be encountered. This will put them in a better situation to provide guidance to the kids in a manner that is truly helpful.
  3. Education:  Right along with communication, teach your kids about the world and what is going on.  If they are aware of the malicious attacks and how these people think they can be aware of their tactics.  This doesn’t mean you need to tell them all the gory details but keeping them aware can go a long way in a good protection plan.

We always strive to learn something from the attacks we analyze, but truly in this one there are no redeeming qualities.  All we can say, it is one of those attacks that is pure evil and malicious and there is not much to learn except, keep your kids safe.

Its 10:pm Do you know where your children are?

In the 1980’s before Social Engineers were using the Internet to Trap Children