Cyberluring

Why Trust Techopedia

What Does Cyberluring Mean?

Cyberluring refers to the practice of using false pretexts to deceive another individual into meeting in person with the intent of perpetrating a crime. Cyberlurers use chatrooms, instant messaging (IM) applications or email to establish online rapports with their targets. Once they’ve gained the trust of the target, they arrange to meet in the real world. Upon meeting, the target may be sexually assaulted, robbed or even murdered.

Advertisements

Cyberluring is also known as Internet luring.

Techopedia Explains Cyberluring

Cyberluring is an insidious practice in that the majority of cases involve adult lurers targeting underage children. These cases frequently end in sexual assault. The problem is serious enough that the FBI has released guidelines on protecting children from cyberlurers. These include steps such as:

  • Keeping the computer in a common room
  • Maintaining access to your child’s email and accounts
  • Using parental control software to block certain sites

Many groups, schools and local police departments present programs whose goal is to educate parents and youth about the dangers of cyberluring and about how perpetrators go about luring innocent Internet users into their grip.

Advertisements

Related Terms

Margaret Rouse
Technology Specialist
Margaret Rouse
Technology Specialist

Margaret is an award-winning writer and educator known for her ability to explain complex technical topics to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles in the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret’s idea of ​​a fun day is to help IT and business professionals to learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.