the well-th report
tech talk
Watching Your Back On Social Media
For many, social media has been a lifeline throughout the pandemic. In isolation, social media kept us connected, informed and entertained. When social media became one of just a few outlets for connection and creative expression, many of us became more comfortable sharing content on our platforms of choice.
Unfortunately, we’re not the only ones spending more time on social media. Increased activity has also attracted cybercriminals.
ACCORDING TO THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION,
"Reported losses [to social media scams] reached record highs, climbing to nearly $117 million in just the first six months of 2020."
Source
While we can collectively express gratitude for the benefits of social media in our lives, we should also strive to protect ourselves and our loved ones when we go online. As you transition to post-pandemic living, consider having conversations with vulnerable people — including older relatives and children — about watching your back on social media. Here are six things to keep in mind.
Avoid Oversharing
Social media is inherently just that — social. As you’re making new friends and engaging with old ones online, it’s natural to want to share personal information about yourself in order to strengthen that social bond.
That, unfortunately, is exactly what scammers are hoping you’ll do. The more you reveal, the more information criminals have to use in cases of identity theft. Be cognizant of the information you share about your family — particularly your children — as well; more nefarious actors could use personal information to form a dangerous bond with your loved ones.
It’s especially important to be discerning about what you reveal if you have a large following on social media. When you don’t know exactly whom among your followers you can trust, limit the possibility for exploitation.
Don’t Accept Friend Requests From Strangers
The “stranger danger” principle you learned in kindergarten applies to your interactions on social media. Social media offers a great way for old friends to reconnect, but it also presents potential for scammers to take advantage of people who come to consider them friends. In some cases, the damage done is purely emotional. In others, your new “friend” could exploit you for money or gather enough of your personal information to attempt identity theft.
If you receive a “friend” request from someone you don’t know, don’t accept. Don’t worry about hurting their feelings; if they really know you, they’ll find another way to get in touch.
Avoid Geotags
It’s incredibly easy to tag your location in your social media posts. You might be tempted to tweet that you’re at the airport en route to a family vacation or tag the location of your beach getaway on Instagram.
The only drawback? Geotags can tip off scammers that you’re not at home. If they’re able to uncover personal information about you, like your address, they’ll know that your house is empty — leaving you and your possessions exposed.
Protect Your Credit Card Information
Scammers will prey on the vulnerable by exploiting people’s best tendencies — including the desire to donate to the less fortunate during times of distress. According to the FTC, “People are increasingly reporting social media messages that offer grant money and other giveaways, supposedly to help people during the pandemic. These scams offer so-called relief to people in need of cash, but scammers are really after your money, your information, or both.”
If you’re inclined to donate, that’s excellent — just make sure you give money via accredited, secure platforms and not on social media.
Practice Strong Password Hygiene
One of the best ways to protect yourself anywhere online is to strengthen your passwords. Password strength is a multi-step practice: first, you need to create codes that hackers couldn’t easily guess. Most sites recommend using a combination of letters and numbers, upper- and lowercase letters, and unique characters.
Once you’ve determined a strong password, you might be inclined to use it for all your logins. Don’t. If a hacker guesses your password for one account, they’ll then be able to hack into all of your accounts.
Further protect yourself by opting to answer security questions and turning on two-factor authentication when you can. The more barriers you erect between yourself and your accounts, the safer you’ll be from potential invaders.
Keep It Private
If you use social media to keep in touch mostly with family and close friends, be sure to update your privacy settings. Most social media platforms have various levels of privacy options, so you can choose who has access to what information you post. By restricting access to the general public, you’re already a step ahead in keeping yourself safe.
Social media should be celebrated, particularly after a hard year during the COVID-19 pandemic. As we straddle the real and virtual worlds, though, it’s important to keep ourselves safe everywhere we go. Learn more here.