By Grace Q Bryant and Laurina B Lormia
The Liberia Girls Guide Association (LGGA) has ended an awareness under theme: ‘Surf Smart Advocacy’, to prevent and control internet scam and digital hacking.
The awareness campaign held on March 23, 2024 at the Liberia Girls Guide Association office at Duport Road, was aimed at educating the society about scammers and hackers on the internet.
LGGA informed the society on how scammers and hackers can use the internet to exploit money from people, enslave, and also get them by human trafficking in Liberia and around the world; and noted that women are victimized the most in the scam.
The Vice president for LGGA, Promise Gborweah, said that the internet has its good and bad sides, and observed that some people use the internet for human trafficking, bullying, sharing nudes, and exploiting more money from people through these things.
“This is why LGGA brought about smart surfer, to educate young men and women on how to use the internet wisely; do not share your internet password with any one, or be fast to open links,” she added.
“People come in your inbox and pretend like they want to help take you abroad for studies, marriage or jobs. Some even go as far as sending you money just to convince you so that you can trust them. You get excited that you have someone abroad caring for you, this is how many people, especially women, are victimized in the process,” she said.
Deborah Jah said that Surf Smart’s goal is to ensure a generation of young people to have the knowledge and understanding on how to connect positively on the internet.
“This internet program has reached to over 600,000 young people across five continents; in Liberia, girls and young women are faced with escalating online violence,” she narrated.
She added, “Surf Smart teaches young girls on how to go about combating these challenges; LGGA has trained about 20 smart surfers today and I’m one of those and I’m quite excited.
“It is our hope at LGGA to encourage the young generation of people to join Surf Smart today, to help protect young men and women from the numerous online violence.”
Meanwhile, the Chief Commissioner of LGGA, Madam Deroe Weeks, congratulated the 20 smart surfers, and also encouraged them to always reach out to young people and tell them more about internet scam, so that they cannot be victims of what happens on the internet.
