Personal Safety

The overwhelming majority of BOS users are trustworthy and well-meaning.

With thousands of human interactions, the incidence of violent crime related to BOS is extremely low.

Nevertheless, please take the same common sense precautions online as you would offline.

When meeting someone for the first time, please remember to:

• Insist on a public meeting place like a cafe, bank, or shopping center.
• Do not meet in a secluded place, or invite strangers into your home.
• Be especially careful buying/selling high value items.
• Tell a friend or family member where you’re going.
• Take your cell phone along if you have one.
• Consider having a friend accompany you.
• Trust your instincts.

Taking these simple precautions helps make BOS safer for everyone.

For more information about personal safety online, check out these resources:

http://www.onguardonline.gov/

http://getsafeonline.org