Warning to Parents Who Use Moshi Monsters

ab7

Hi Suki,

I already half knew about these sites not being as safe if you take a look here and read through the thread - what I though was scary was the fact that police already knew but yet it never made the papers at all. There is also links there to CEOP who are the child exploitation and online protection police who have advice about keeping the kids safe with a video for them to watch.

It just helps to reinforce what we teach them and the stuff they learn in school.

suki1001

ab7 wrote: »

Hi Suki,

I already half knew about these sites not being as safe if you take a look here and read through the thread - what I though was scary was the fact that police already knew but yet it never made the papers at all. There is also links there to CEOP who are the child exploitation and online protection police who have advice about keeping the kids safe with a video for them to watch.

It just helps to reinforce what we teach them and the stuff they learn in school.

It's quite hidden to me. If you type in "how safe is moshi monsters" into google, all that comes up with apart from the page you posted is how safe they are. I find it a bit misleading. Of course, we should teach our children to be vigilant, but I think the fact it puports itself to be safe, when nothing could be further from the truth is awful - and I thinks that is why parents are misled into thinking it is safe.

Sambucus_Nigra

suki1001 wrote: »

It's ok - I understand most people on here are probably savvy enough to know, but there might be some who aren't and as someone else said, if just one person becomes wise from it, that will be good.

When I can say what's happened, I'll let everyone know.

Nothing online is 'safe' - as there are no checks to say that someone joining a site is actually aged 10 and dodgy people who have a keen interest in children are bound to hone in on easy targets. Anyone who thinks otherwise really needs to open their eyes.

bestpud

It's not really helpful to berate the OP tbh! I'm sure she is far from alone in thinking it was safe, so it's good to warn people!

Some of the responses on here are brilliant for the baddies as it makes people reluctant to talk about their experience!

Sambucus_Nigra

bestpud wrote: »

It's not really helpful to berate the OP tbh! I'm sure she is far from alone in thinking it was safe, so it's good to warn people!

Some of the responses on here are brilliant for the baddies as it makes people reluctant to talk about their experience!

Are they? Which ones?

I'm stunned that anyone thinks anything on the internet is 'safe'. Of course it's not 'safe'. All you need is an email address and you can sign up to anything - add a photo grabbed from somewhere else on the internet and you too could be a young girl looking for friends because her family doesn't understand her.

And anyone who thinks their kids don't know how to use a chat room - yeah right! Here's what happens - you click on it and anyone [and yes - anyone] can speak to you on it. There - that's how easy it is.

'Send me your email address and I'll send over a picture of Justin Bieber that you might like'....whoops - now the international pee-do network all have your kids email address and can contact them directly next time they log in.

All very safe. Not.

suki1001

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

Are they? Which ones?

I'm stunned that anyone thinks anything on the internet is 'safe'. Of course it's not 'safe'. All you need is an email address and you can sign up to anything - add a photo grabbed from somewhere else on the internet and you too could be a young girl looking for friends because her family doesn't understand her.

And anyone who thinks their kids don't know how to use a chat room - yeah right! Here's what happens - you click on it and anyone [and yes - anyone] can speak to you on it. There - that's how easy it is.

'Send me your email address and I'll send over a picture of Justin Bieber that you might like'....whoops - now the international pee-do network all have your kids email address and can contact them directly next time they log in.

All very safe. Not.

Well, I bow to your superior and infinate wisdom. I hope you feel better, that the rest of the world are idiots.

Not safe - just safer, and yes they do, hence this thread. It's fantastic you are all clued up, but some people aren't. And like anything, you can be as clued up as you want still, but some people still get caught out, some children still get caught out.

Yes, you are stating the obvious, I am stating the obvious, but if it helps one person. It wasn't a chat room that was the problem btw. The person involved, was stopped because the child was aware of this fact, not because they didn't know.

Further more, just because you do know, I shouldn't start this thread up? Just because you are stunned that people don't know, we keep quiet.

Sambucus_Nigra

suki1001 wrote: »

Well, I bow to your superior and infinate wisdom. I hope you feel better, that the rest of the world are idiots.

Not safe - just safer, and yes they do, hence this thread. It's fantastic you are all clued up, but some people aren't. And like anything, you can be as clued up as you want still, but some people still get caught out, some children still get caught out.

Yes, you are stating the obvious, I am stating the obvious, but if it helps one person. It wasn't a chat room that was the problem btw. The person involved, was stopped because the child was aware of this fact, not because they didn't know.

The chat room bit was responding to the user who said they kids didn't know how to use one.

The internet has been around a long time now - it's time that people worked out that all you need is an email address to join pretty much any site.

I am interested though in how you thought it would be safe/r? What checks would be in place to make it so?

vixarooni

I have to agree - any parent who thinks a site that has a chat facility could ever be safe to a child probably shouldn't let their child anywhere near a computer!

My parents were in their 50's when i would use chat rooms in my teens. They had no idea about what i was up to or what i could get access to, but then they never use the internet and still don't. I think if people use a forum they're probably internet savvy enough to realise the dangers of children being in a chat room.

suki1001

Sambucus_Nigra wrote: »

The chat room bit was responding to the user who said they kids didn't know how to use one.

The internet has been around a long time now - it's time that people worked out that all you need is an email address to join pretty much any site.

I am interested though in how you thought it would be safe/r? What checks would be in place to make it so?

Why do you need to know? It's not me who had the problem. I am just warning others.

suki1001

vixarooni wrote: »

I have to agree - any parent who thinks a site that has a chat facility could ever be safe to a child probably shouldn't let their child anywhere near a computer!

My parents were in their 50's when i would use chat rooms in my teens. They had no idea about what i was up to or what i could get access to, but then they never use the internet and still don't. I think if people use a forum they're probably internet savvy enough to realise the dangers of children being in a chat room.

Said child wasn't using a chatroom.