"Zoom-Bombing"
News from FBI Norfolk Victim Services:
It’s summer and covid…but criminals don’t take a break. The FBI has seen an increase in crimes against children and general scams and schemes against all age groups.
Be alert to ‘Zoombombing’
With so many of us on Zoom for work and fun, users should be aware that there has been an increase in various individuals and groups disrupting Zoom meetings with explicit images of children or hate speech. There are documented instances across the country, and in our area, of individuals being victimized by exposure against their will to images and language that many have found distasteful and/or disturbing. If you, or someone you know, have been in a Zoom meeting and experienced someone hijacking the meeting to display/share illicit pictures or videos of children or hate speech, please consider reporting the incident(s) to your local FBI Office in Norfolk through the main number at 757-455-0100 or through the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) https://www.ic3.gov/.
General Online Safety
For information about scams and safety, the FBI has created a webpage to help alert the public about common current and past threats aimed at children and ways that adults can be targeted. For some tips for parents, guardians, and concerned adults on recognizing specific threats to children and youth, the FBI offers these online resources:
https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety
https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/protecting-your-kids
https://www.fbi.gov/video-repository/newss-what-is-sextortion/view
Finally, the FBI has also created age-specific, non-frightening information for kids from grades 3 through 8 to help them learn about the many dangers that lurk on the Internet—from child predators to cyber bullies, from malicious software to a multitude of scams—so kids can learn the ins and outs of online safety from an early age:
