Online safety

Scamming has become more common, especially via phone, text and emails. Scams can often appear legitimate and like a real company or government agency is reaching out to you. They usually involve an organisation or individual who tries to deceive or trick victims into giving them money, personal information and/or identity.

There are many different types of scams including text scams, email scams and phone scams.

Some methods or types of scams that scammers might use also include:

• accommodation scam
• legal offence
• unexpected money
• investment
• fake charity
• unknown order or outstanding bill
• money laundering.

Some of the warning signs to look out for when you have received a message that is a scam and not genuine include:

• discounts or offers that look too good to be true
• vague details or a lack of information
• messages that create a sense of urgency
• threats to you
• demanding payment, especially in untraditional methods like gift cards or crypto.

What to do if you suspect a scam

• do not respond at all if you suspect it is a scam
• block the sender
• delete the message
• report the scammer to Scam Watch or Australian Cyber Security Centre 
• report to spam@mq.edu.au if it has been sent to your student email address, or if the recipient is claiming to be from Macquarie University.

Catfishing

Catfishing is another common online scamming tactic, which is where someone creates a fake identity on social media to trick and deceive you. There are many reasons why someone may do this, from something as harmless as they think it is funny, to something more serious such as gaining money, gifts, or inappropriate photos from you. They may encourage you to share secrets or personal information with them so that they can blackmail you or steal your identity.

To learn more about catfishing and how to stay safe, visit the eSafety website.

Macquarie University also has more information and resources on how to keep your money and information safe from scammers and fraud.

With online dating becoming more common through both specific dating apps or sites (Tinder, Bumble, etc), along with apps and platforms that connect individuals together (Instagram, Discord, etc), it is important to understand the risks and how to stay safe.

Some of the risks that come with online dating include:

• cyber stalking, where you are constantly kept track of by the other person in a way that may feel uncomfortable, worried or harassed
• catfishing, where the other person is pretending to be someone else
• moving too fast, where you may feel pressured to give consent and do certain things that you may not want to do
• revenge porn, where someone shares or threatens to share intimate photos or videos of you without consent
• sextortion, where someone blackmails you by threatening to share intimate photos or videos of you unless you pay them.

Tips on how to stay safe when dating online

Especially when you are using traditional dating platforms or apps, it’s best to limit the information you share online and avoid moving the conversation to another messaging or social media app until you are comfortable. Be careful about sharing your location, ensuring you check the settings in the app.

When meeting in person, prepare carefully and stay safe by:

• telling someone you trust where you are going and what you are doing
• meeting and staying in a busy place
• trusting your instincts.

When online dating remember that you can always say no, and if you are uncomfortable, block the user, and report them if necessary.

The eSafety website has more tips on how to stay safe, the warning signs to look out for and where you can go for more help.

Sensitive content can include personal identifying information or nudes or intimate photos. It is important to make sure that this information is only used with your knowledge and consent and not used by someone else for the wrong reasons.

Personal identifying information is any piece of information or data that confirms and creates your identity, and includes:

• full name
• date of birth
• home address
• school
• email addresses
• bank account details
• driver licence
• birth certificate.

Nearly every app, platform or website asks you for some personally identifiable information, but this data can be stolen or misused, which is why it is important to keep it as private and secure as possible.

To keep this information secure you should:

• set up multi-factor authentication (MFA)
• never share your passwords
• update your devices as frequently as possible
• connect to secure Wi-Fi networks
• report scams
• check website or apps that ask for you information
• check your settings
• be safe with who you interact with online.

It is best to minimise who you share these details with, but if you must share it to ensure that it is only with trusted services with your knowledge and consent.

To learn more about protecting your identity, and who to report suspicious activity to, visit the eSafety website.

Cyberbullying is when someone uses the internet to be nasty to another person to upset or hurt them, embarrass them or make them feel bad. It can include posts, comments, messages, memes, images, videos and emails. You should not take or post images or videos of other people without their knowledge or consent.

If you or someone you know is experiencing cyberbullying, block the user and report it in the app or site, as they can usually remove or take down the content. If they don't help, report it to eSafety to investigate and remove it.

Trolling

Sometimes a form of cyberbullying, trolling, is when someone posts or comments online to deliberately provoke someone by ‘baiting’ them.

Trolls often post or comment anonymously and try to provoke an emotional response from people. Examples of trolling include posting offensive comments on other peoples’ posts on social media, sending direct messages that intend to bully or cause harm, or even the use of derogatory terms or personal attacks on discord when playing a video game online.

Check out the eSafety website for more information on online trolling.

What to do if I'm being trolled?

If you are being trolled, ignore their posts, have a record of what they posted, report the content or account, block the account and log off, when necessary.

1. Starve the troll

It’s totally understandable to want to respond to trolls, but trolls thrive on others’ anger, frustration and annoyance. Don’t forget, they do this because they want you to react.

This means that the angrier you get, the stronger they become. So, your best bet for ridding the internet of trolls is to starve them of a reaction.

This can be pretty challenging. It helps to remember that trolls don’t actually believe what they’re posting, so you can’t beat them with logic or fact. When you’re being trolled, the best thing to do is to ignore the posts, eventually they’ll probably get bored and go away.

2. Record it

No matter whether it happens once or repeatedly, take a screenshot so that you have a record of the original message. This covers you if the person tries to edit or delete their comment once they realise it could get them in trouble.

These records can also be handy if things escalate and you need to take the matter further.

3. Stand up for yourself

You can ignore trolls and still make a stand against them. Most social media sites have report and block functions in place to stop trolls from bugging you and to keep you feeling safe online.

Read up on what else you can do filter out the trolls from your feed in the safety guidelines for each social media platform:

• Instagram safety
• bullying prevention on TikTok
• Snapchat’s privacy and safety hub
• managing harassment on Twitch
• Discord’s safety centre.

If you’ve exhausted the reporting and blocking options within your social media platform and things are still really bad, you need to make a report to the eSafety Commissioner using this form.

Before you make a complaint, you need to:

• have copies of the cyberbullying material ready to upload (screenshots or photos)
• report the material to the social media service at least 48 hours before filling out the form
• gather as much information as possible about where the material is located
• allow 15–20 minutes to complete the form.

4. Log off

It can be really overwhelming when trolls are constantly pestering you. While you can’t control other people’s trolling behaviour, you can try to limit the amount of time you spend dealing with it.

Logging off social media can be really difficult, but it’s a good idea if you’re feeling upset.

Don't worry, you don’t have to go completely off the grid. You could try:

• turning off push notifications
• logging off from the accounts that are most affected by trolling
• deleting social media apps from your phone
• only logging on at certain times, like when you’re at home.

5. Tell someone you trust

It can help to talk to someone if trolls are getting you down. Although it can be really tough, opening up about the situation can make you feel a lot better. Choose someone who you trust and who will be able to give you the help you need, such as a friend, family member, counsellor, or teacher.

Work out what you want to say beforehand, focusing on how the experience is affecting you and what help you want from them. If they don’t give you the support you’re looking for, try speaking to someone else.

Find more tips on how to talk to someone you trust.

Where can I get help if I'm being trolled?

Submit a CARE report – MQ Student Wellbeing staff will contact you to confidentially discuss the situation and work with you to feel more supported. They can help you deal with how you feel after being trolled but they can’t stop the trolling or misconduct themselves. They also offer other services such as online wellbeing support and counselling, and mental health support if you or someone you know has been affected by online trolling. For further assistance you can report incidents of trolling or cyberbullying to eSafety.

Alternatively, if you wish to seek further support outside the services offered by the university, you can contact the services listed below:

• Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636
• Lifeline: 13 11 14
• Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800
• NSW Mental Health Line: 1800 011 511
• 1800 YARN: 13 92 76
• ESafety FirstNations

It may be hard to keep track of how much time you are spending online as it is easy to get carried away. However, if you are mindful of how often and why you are going online, it can help you gain more balance and have a healthier relationship with technology.

Although there are many benefits to the internet, it can become an unhealthy addiction when you spend too much time engaging with it. It should enhance your life, not dominate it. As going online makes your brain release dopamine, the ‘happy’ hormone, it becomes more and more addictive the longer you are on it. Spending too much time online can make study, work and relationships more difficult and cause issues with your physical and mental health.

Things you can do to achieve more balance in your relationship with technology include:

• put limits on the time you spend on your phone
• put your phone on do not disturb or turn off notifications
• spend some time outside in nature
• devote time to a hobby such as drawing, art, a sport, reading or spending time with friends
• do not start and end your day with checking your phone
• delete an app
• remember that generative AI programmes like ChatGPT are not real people and are not substitutes for friends or professional health and wellbeing services.

Sexual violence is sexual behaviour that occurs without consent. If digital technology is used, it’s sometimes called ‘tech-based sexual violence’. For example, someone may use a messaging service to send unwanted nudes, they may share or threaten to share an intimate image or video without the consent of the person shown, or they may force or trick a person into getting sexual over a video chat.

Examples of tech-based sexual violence include:

• using a messaging service to send unwanted nudes
• sharing, or threatening to share intimate videos without the consent of the person shown (informally known as ‘revenge porn’)
• forcing or tricking a person into getting sexual over a video chat or phone call
• using a digital platform or service to organise a meeting so that they can sexually harm you
• sexually harming, degrading or humiliating you in a virtual or augmented reality environment
• tricking you into sending nudes, sexual videos, or sexual messages, and then threatening to release them unless you pay them, send more sexual content, or promise to do something else for them. This is sexual extortion or ‘sextortion’ and it is a form of blackmail.

Sexual violence can be traumatic and stressful, and it may make you feel a range of emotions. You may feel scared, confused, powerless, angry and/or depressed. It can have long-term effects on your mental and physical health, as well as your relationships with others (both sexual and non-sexual). It is important to know you are not alone and there is no correct or ‘normal’ way to react to sexual violence.

Sexual violence can happen to anyone, but some people, such as LGBTQIA+ people and women are at particularly high risk of abuse. If you are abused, it is not your fault, and you have a right to speak out, be believed, and access support.

You can find a range of support services, from confidential reporting mechanisms to emergency support numbers on the sexual assault and harassment page.