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Instant messaging and online chatting can be entertaining and a lot of fun. You may find yourself reconnecting with old friends, or even finding new ones. However, because of the openness of this medium, you should take some care about your chat experiences. In addition, if you have children, you want to make sure that their online chat experiences do not put them in harms way.

First, understand that not everyone out there has the best intentions. You’ll see many instances of scams and cons. Unfortunately, a lot of these people use chat rooms to find their victims. Here are a few tips to help protect you and your family when chatting online.

Keep a tiny bit of skepticism in your mind when you are chatting with someone you may not know too well. Scammers prey upon people’s emotions. They are especially attracted to people’s weaknesses and needs. These people can also be very good liars, so take a lot of what is said online with a grain of salt.

If you are engaging in an online dating relationship, make sure that you pay attention if something just doesn’t feel right or if the information or stories you are being given by that person just doesn’t seem logical. Make sure you do a little bit of research. Don’t be blinded by stories that seem too good to be true.

Don’t give out personal information unless you feel completely secure with the person you are chatting with. Don’t give out this information that includes your name, phone number and address to just anyone.