When an 8-year-old girl told her parents that she chatted with a member of Hanson over the Internet, her father was suspicious.
But when the girl told her father that the person who claimed to be 12-year-old Zac wanted to meet her at a concert alone, her dad called the police.
The imposter had offered the girl a backstage pass to Hanson’s Tulsa concert. He said he had just one, so the girl had to come by herself. When her dad didn’t receive a phone call confirming that the offer was legitimate, he reported it to police.
Tulsa police said they received several similar calls from other people and urged kids to beware of an Internet imposter posing as a Hanson group member.
The girl met the imposter in an on-line chat room, where it’s easy for people to pretend to be someone else.
Because you can’t see or even hear the person, someone can misrepresent himself or herself, the FBI says. So, someone indicating that he (or she ) is a 12-year-old could really be an older person.
But it’s easy to avoid trouble if you follow a few basic rules, the FBI says. Here are their tips:
– Never give out your name, home address, school name or phone number in a chat room.
– Don’t respond to messages or bulletin board items that are suggestive, threatening, obscene or make you feel uncomfortable.
– Be careful when someone offers you something for nothing, such as gifts and money. Be suspicious about any offers that involve your coming to a meeting or having someone visit your house.
– Tell your parent right away if you come across any information that makes you feel uncomfortable.
