chat rooms: is it safe to use them?

[b]

so many people use chat rooms but are they safe
one time i was chatting with a group of people and someone
told me where i live and my phone#
he was a nice guy and he did not intend any harm but he was telling it's easy to get all the info about me even my credit card#
how can i protect myself?
can i get a virus chattiing online?

[trenzterra]

chatting is safe, but you shouldn't tell him your location and your phone. You're courting trouble.

Ask for his info and call your local police.

[Blank Verse]

but you shouldn't tell him your location and your phone

He didn't/ The guy posted his location and phone number...as hackers do.

[b]

trenzterra
i did not give him any info about myself but he was able to find out personal info about me.

that's why i'm asking you guys how can i protect myself

[Toefur]

Chat rooms are as safe as one can be.

Even if someone does somehow come accross your phone number/address... it's not like they will be able to do anything, unless they happen to live right nearby.

However, I wonder... is it even actually -possible- for a person to randomly get your phone number; unless you somehow have it on your info in the chat program?

[Cyber]

chats are safe----unless you give out info

[trenzterra]

Originally posted by b
trenzterra
i did not give him any info about myself but he was able to find out personal info about me.

that's why i'm asking you guys how can i protect myself he maybe threatening you. as i said, call your local police.

[Cyber]

also, notify AOL or the owner of the chat.

[Todd]

Make sure you didn't give that site your name, address, telephone number and all that information just so they could list it in a public profile. Also make sure he didn't just do a whois on a domain you own.

It's not that easy to go from an IP address to an address without contacting their ISP. You can usually find the general location of where they live but not an exact address.

[Giancarlo]

If he is making death threats... then you should contact the FBI. They have sophisicated equipiment to track people down like this, I am less sure about the police. But... the FBI might have their hands full right now with the recent events. So the Police might be the best option.

One nut did this to me, I sent an email to my FBI friend and this fool was arrested because he threatened other people.

[Epgs]

in irc chat don't put your info in the irc client.

[Hobbes]

For the most part, yes. Just don't give out any personal information and notify the chat ops of anything strange; police/fbi if you have any of what others mentioned above.

Best place to go is the moderated chat rooms :)


Originally posted by b
so many people use chat rooms but are they safe
one time i was chatting with a group of people and someone
told me where i live and my phone#
he was a nice guy and he did not intend any harm but he was telling it's easy to get all the info about me even my credit card#
how can i protect myself?
can i get a virus chattiing online? :biggrin2:

[Gayowulf]

It really varies. IRC is very unsafe. the old Napster chat was bad too.

It all depends on the chat client. its relatively easy to get one's IP adress on any chat system. If you are concerned, got a firewall and use a proxy. that wont make you invincible, but it will certainly help

[Hobbes]

On MatrixChat members hide their IP addresses by accounts and nice little messages for their IP ..but I'd like to see either that, or PART of one's IP addy or none of it all...(except for admins seeing that so they can catch troublemakers)

[trenzterra]

Originally posted by Gayowulf
It really varies. IRC is very unsafe. the old Napster chat was bad too.

It all depends on the chat client. its relatively easy to get one's IP adress on any chat system. If you are concerned, got a firewall and use a proxy. that wont make you invincible, but it will certainly help if its invincible, free firewall programs makers will go bankrupt :D

[kojiro]

didn't u guys watch oprah?

Chatrooms are not safe. There are just too many weirdos around. Your better of here in FWS.


The worst you can do if someone tells you that they have your address and telephone no. is to confirm it. So if someone shows you info about yourself, deny it immediately.

[roblev]

Chat Rooms are evil, they are gunna get my best friend (which happens to be a girl) raped and or killed.

[Giancarlo]

Several of my friends who have dad's that used to work in the FBI or still do, tell me that in the FBI there are people who spend their time on chatrooms intercepting suspicious people. But that is difficult to do because of the sheer number of chatrooms.

[roblev]

Thats what Carnivore is used for!

[Gayowulf]

Originally posted by rshinji
didn't u guys watch oprah?


No, I dont watch Oprah. I hate Oprah as a peson and as a TV show.

anyways...

You're best bet is to avoid chat rooms completely. Try interacting with real people instead.

[Cyber]

like us :biggrin2:

[roblev]

i'm starting to feel the love in this thread!

[Demigod]

chats are safe,if you know what to do.
do not give out any personal info
do not flame anyone unless neccesary
contact your isp,police,or fbi if you're feeling endangered

sometimes,if you're on AOL chats,people might try to give you the blue screen of death,kick you offline or try any other abuse.and AOL chats can cause spam.so i recommend you don't use these chats often.

[Demigod]

i hate chatrooms.i never go on them anymore

[Todd]

Originally posted by roblev
Thats what Carnivore is used for!
You may be right with the new Carnivore but I believe the old one only covered email monitoring.

[roblev]

Yeah, I have been hearing stuff about Carnivore following yahoo chats, but I am not sure.

[Epgs]

i don;t think it will catch anything

my $.02