HOW TO AVOID IDENTITY THEFT ON SOCIAL MEDIA
Sharing information on social media can be dangerous
We all love social media, and it looks like if you don’t have an active account on Facebook, Youtube, or Instagram you are not alive. With over 82% of the Australian population using social media, pretty much everyone is there. However, this frenzy for sharing information has become a threat to Australians safety, and it can put you at risk if you are not cautious enough. So, how do you enjoy social media while being safe at the same time?
The first step to being ahead of the risks that social media brings is to be aware of the dangers that come with it. For example, active social media users are 46% more at risk of identity theft than non-active users, and most scams start with the scammer contacting you via Facebook or Instagram. For these reasons, you need to understand how scammers exploit your account to steal your identity and commit crimes. So you can protect yourself and your loved ones.
Identity thieves love social media
Criminals love social media for one reason, it provides easy and quick access to your information. You check-in in places, publish your birthday, full name, your friends and even your pets name. While posting is a lot of fun, at the same time, you are giving away information that fraudsters can use to impersonate you, access your accounts, or even worse break into your house while you are enjoying your holidays.
For example, most of us use our pets names, family birthdays and high school names as passwords for our accounts. Criminals know that through social engineering you on social media they can get access to your accounts. Other criminals use that information to contact your loved ones and ask for money in your name, and some others use social media to know when you are not at home. In conclusion, fraudsters use the information you share to exploit you and your loved ones.
Protecting yourself and your loved ones is easy
The good news is that you don’t need to become the social media grinch, not even quit using it. Protecting yourself and your loved ones is easy. You only need to check your social media habits and settings.
- Change your privacy settings to private, so only your friends and you can see your posts.
- Set your profile information as private, avoid sharing birthdays, high school names, and so on.
- Set your friends list as private.
- Do not accept friend requests from people you don't know. What's more, check the details of your friends' requests. Is this a genuine request from my friend? or is it a scammer pretending to be my friend. (scammers, steal peoples pictures to set up fake accounts and win your trust).
- Avoid using birthdays, pets names, initials and other easy combinations as passwords.
- Avoid posting specific and private information that can identify you.
By following these simple steps, you can decrease the probability of being a victim of social media fraudsters.
You can also protect your online identity by
- Check your credit report at least once a year to verify unauthorized activity.
- Always lock your mailbox and shred any sensitive documentation you no longer need.
- Be wary of phone calls that ask for your personal information.
For more information visit: https://www.cyber.gov.au/acsc/view-all-content/threats/identity-theft
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