Welcome to the classroom!

This classroom is for the study of "the way of the raccoon"! Here, you'll be learning how to steer clear of online scams that often appear on web pages. You'll also learn how to identify clickbait to save yourself time! Below you will find a few paragraphs of information on the subject of clickbait and scams, as well as a short video summing up key points if you find the reading to be too lengthy. Are you ready? Let's begin!

Scams will often disguise themselves as offers or deals on various websites. A good motto to remember is "if something is too good to be true, it probably is." Clicking on these scams can result in a download of virus-infected files, or extortion of personal information. Watch out for websites with ads that may look like they are part of the website. Downloading things can lead to viruses. Don’t click on links that have an unknown destination, as these could lead you to a virus download or an illegal website.
Scammers can also send false emails to you posing as an official message regarding some kind of account you own, such as a bank account. They will often ask for your passwords or PIN numbers, or other personal information. Never respond to these emails, especially if you do not recognize the sender. Pretending to be someone you're not in order to get information from someone online is called "phishing", and it's a crime. Another serious crime often committed online is identity theft, where someone gets ahold of personal information and uses it to pose as someone they're not in order to steal their money. In the first 4 months of 2019, $15,000,000 were lost to online scams - don't let yourself fall victim to these!