FRAUDLIFESTYLE & TRAVEL

Friend, Follower or Fraudster?

Social media can be a great way to connect, share and celebrate life’s special moments. From sharing updates about your career or family to posting photos from your latest vacation, it can help you stay close and feel connected to friends and family. Social media can even help you build your professional network. It’s important to remember, though, that while you’re busy sharing your life, threat actors could be quietly collecting your personal information without you even realizing it.

It's More Than Personal Data

We’ve all heard we shouldn’t share sensitive, personal or financial information online. However, what many people don’t realize is that fraudsters are often just as interested in learning facts and more obscure data — often called “about you data” — that seems harmless but could be used in an attempt to steal your identity if the information falls into the wrong hands. About you data includes information such as your hobbies or interests, the names of your pets, your favorite vacation spots, your childhood memories or nicknames, schools you attended, or the names of your childhood friends. You might wonder why sharing this type of information could be harmful? This data is often used in security questions or identity verification processes, so anyone who knows these details could answer your security questions or go through your identity verification process to gain access to your accounts.

How to Protect Yourself

Staying safe doesn’t mean you have to delete your social media apps or completely disconnect. It just means it’s important to be intentional about what you share based on the platform and who you give access to seeing what you post. Here are some ways to protect yourself online.

• Check your privacy settings. Take the time to review your privacy settings on all your social media accounts. Ensure your profiles are private, and only friends or followers can see your content for personal accounts. This adds a layer of protection between your personal life and strangers on the internet.
• Be cautious with public profiles. If you’re building a brand or a business and need to keep a public presence, consider separating that account from your personal accounts, so your personal information stays private. Remember that if your profile or any information you share is public, it’s out there for the world to see. If you post video content, threat actors have more leverage in creating AI deepfakes to pretend to be you.
• Carefully consider mutual connections. It’s easy to assume that a mutual friend is someone trustworthy, but that’s not always the case, even on professional platforms. Before accepting new friends or followers, double check with your mutual contact to confirm that they know the person. If something feels off, trust your intuition and deny the request.

Social media should be a fun and meaningful way for you to connect with people you love and care about. With a few added precautions, you can continue to share your life and protect your personal information. Staying secure doesn’t mean you have to stay silent; it just means you’re being intentional about what you share and who you share it with.

Sources:

https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/news/staying-safe-social-networking-sites