Jul 22 - RGP Issues Pokemon Go Safety Advice
Police are urging parents to speak to young people about staying safe when using the recently launched Pokemon Go app.
The app allows everyone to set up a ‘beacon’ which can then encourage other users to reach a specific venue, and concerns have been expressed worldwide about the possibility of online criminals making use of this in an attempt to target victims.
Detective Superintendent Ian McGrail from the Crime & Protective Services Division said: “We know criminals move quickly to exploit the latest developments to target victims, and this app will already be in their sights. There have already been known incidents in the US where young people are thought to have been targeted through the app. I would urge parents to speak to their children about the app and the best ways to ensure they stay safe. Talking to your child is one of the best ways to keep them safe.”
The RGP has offered the following advice: Online child sexual abuse and grooming is growing across the world, and although not widespread in Gibraltar, the RGP continues to work with local and international partners to raise awareness of the issues and provide advice and guidance on Internet safety, how to stay safe, spot the signs and how to report offences. Young people, parents, teachers and others need to know what to look for so they can raise concerns.
Parents are advised to speak to their children about the sites they visit online, who they talk to and most importantly what to do if they see inappropriate content or are approached by someone that worries them. Children should be advised to tell someone they trust and stress they won’t be in trouble; friends are people that they know in ‘real life’ not someone they don’t know online.
We should be aware of what our children are doing online and encourage them to talk about any people that approach them online. Everyone needs to keep security settings high and ensure that “friends” spoken to online are REAL friends.
General Advice:
Be cautious about alerting strangers to where you will be in future. Be careful where you leave ‘beacons’
Parents, supervise children when using the app
Always pay attention to your surroundings, especially in built up areas
Where possible play with friends and stay in a group
Avoid playing near roads
Play at home – You can use lures to attract Pokémon to you
Keep your device safe – You can still play with your phone out of sight, it will vibrate when a Pokémon is near
Don’t play while driving
You need a Google (or IoS) account to sign up to play the game and there have been reports that with Google users, the app has automatically granted itself permission to access your Gmail and Google Drive accounts, which could leave you vulnerable to hackers. The level of permission required is currently being tweaked by the game’s makers.
Security experts have spotted a malicious version of the PokémonGo Android app that has been infected with a remote access tool that gives attackers full control over the victim’s phone.
A handy guide for parents can be accessed on the Parent Zone website at
http://parentzone.org.uk/article/pokemon-go-parents-guide
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