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Cyber scams are on the rise, with increasing numbers of people falling victim to online romance scams and sextortion attempts.

Nobody is immune from such online predators, but it pays to lessen your chances of becoming a target, says West Vancouver-based private investigator Denis Gagnon of BCSI Investigations.

Here are some ways you can do that:

• Make sure your privacy settings are enabled on your online profiles to limit the amount of information about you cyber scammers have access to. Scammers groom their victims and get help building their fake relationships through information easily accessible online.
• Find out who you’re talking to online. Ask lots of questions. Ask as many questions as you would if you were meeting the person face-to-face.
• Beware of being steered off more mainstream communication platforms to ones where conversations are encrypted and more difficult to trace.
• Be suspicious if you start receiving a lot of new requests to connect from people you don’t know. They may be the same scammer using different fake identities.
• If possible, meet the person in the real world, in a public place before getting too involved.
• Don’t send money, gift cards or Bitcoin.
• Beware of requests for money – either for investment purposes or to help a new friend out – particularly if the request comes before you’ve met IRL.
• If you’re a parent concerned about a teen, become familiar with what your teen is doing online
• Don’t allow computers and phones in the bedroom all night. It’s better to move computers into a central location. “You can’t really, do your thing, if you’re in the middle of the living room,” says Gagnon, of limiting exposure to sextortion.
• Use a strong anti-virus software and keep your computer up to date to help fend off those seeking to get access to your information. “Windows 97 may not do it.”

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