How to Practice Personal Safety in a Digital World

Transcript

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HOST: You're listening to North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live, a daily newscast about what it means to live in Minnesota.

ANCHOR: In today’s stories, some Minnesota lawmakers want tougher penalties for suspects who run from police. Then, we take a look at how to practice personal safety in the digital world. And, an effort in Grand Marais to get people to connect without technology. I’m Gracie J.

A high-speed chase in Minneapolis that killed two women and injured a young child has lawmakers calling for tougher penalties for those who run from police. Senator Julia Coleman, a Republican from Waconia, which is about 30 minutes west of the metro, posted on social media that ever since her own family was put at risk by a suspect fleeing police, she has been working on bills to address the issue. Coleman’s post goes on to say that those who put others’ lives in danger while fleeing police should be punished appropriately. Some members of the DFL are saying they support Coleman’s efforts. Next, in the wake of cyberattacks, like the one in St. Paul earlier this summer, concerns about digital security are growing across Minnesota. Reporter Faaya Adem has some tips on how you can stay safe online.

Faaya Adem: When hackers locked down St Paul systems in a July ransomware attack, city employees had to change all their passwords. Cyber crime can feel distant until it hits your own inbox with scams like fake Department of Motor Vehicles or DMV texts on the rise. Knowing how to protect yourself online has never been more important.

Theresa Sladek: It’s a bit of a myth that only older adults don't have the digital skills. We have 18 different assessments, and I have yet to meet anyone who's passed all 18 100% from you know, teenagers up through people in their 80s.

Faaya Adem: Theresa Sladek is the Strategic Partnerships and North Star Business Development Manager at Literacy Minnesota. The nonprofit organization provides digital literacy training for adults.
Theresa Sladek: I think people are also just scared, in general, at any age, are scared that they might break something. They might mess something up. And a lot of people, I think they're just afraid that they themselves won't be able to understand it.

Faaya Adem: Phishing is a scam where criminals pretend to be a trusted source to trick someone into giving out their personal information. Learning how to identify common phishing methods such as fake texts from the DMV or suspicious emails from the bank can keep people's information safe.

Theresa Sladek: The landscape changes so much, and
especially the scamming landscape. It's better to understand that what you're taught can be their transferable skills. And, you know, for, let's say, phishing scams, to recognize, rather than an individual scam, kind of patterns to look for, to suggest that something might be dangerous.

Jay Haapala: What AI helps the criminals do is, first of all, sort of their market research. So they can use AI software to sort of scour the internet and find out information about their target, the person that they want to scam. It allows them to generate content. So it will help them figure out the perfect scam to target, the kind of person that they're trying to steal money from.

Faaya Adem: Jay Haapala is the Associate State Director of Community Engagement for AARP Minnesota. He is referring to the use of artificial intelligence for online scams.

Jay Haapala: AARP runs a program called the Fraud Watch Network, and part of that is that people call us and report nationwide. From all across the country, they call and report the scams that they see.

Faaya Adem: Here are a few more tips to keep your information safe. If you get a text claiming to be from the DMV or your bank asking for your information, don't engage. It is a common phishing scam. If an email looks suspicious, make sure the email actually matches the sender’s. Don't click on links and emails or texts from people you don't know. Use unique, strong passwords. If one gets exposed in a data breach, the rest of your accounts are safe. For North Star Stories, I’m Faaya Adem.

ANCHOR: You are listening to North Star Stories. A unique project in Grand Marais is encouraging people to put down their phones and break out the pen and paper. The Letteracy Deck claims to be the only free public letter-writing park in the world. Now with two locations in Grand Marais, the Letteracy Deck offers a space, stationery, pens and makers, stamps, and they’ll even mail your letters for you all for free. Organizers say letters help to reduce loneliness and isolation. The Letteracy Deck is open through October 20th.

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HOST: North Star Stories is produced by AMPERS, diverse radio for Minnesota's communities, with support from the McKnight Foundation and the State of Minnesota. Online at ampers.org.