Social Networking Scams
Social networking sites may be wonderful ways to keep track of distant friends and family, but they’re also the stomping ground of millions of people you don’t even know. More critically, they’re now home to a growing number of people who aren’t who they claim to be. Fake identity is a big deal in the world of social networking, and it can hit you in a number of ways. Maybe there’s someone out there claiming to be someone you know. Maybe there’s someone you know claiming to be someone else. Or perhaps there’s someone claiming to be you. The point is that faking an ID on a social networking site isn’t so very difficult, yet the potential damage is limited only by the imagination.
How to avoid:
• Recognize the difference between the areas of a social networking site that are private and those that are public, and post with that in mind.
• Don’t go randomly clicking on every link that pops up. Beware truncated links especially, and delete/ignore anything you can’t automatically identify.
• Social networking quizzes/games/forms are not always as innocent as they seem. If you’re forced to divulge any personal information – such as a telephone number – to get a score, or if you’re asked uncomfortable questions (“What are you wearing?”), say bye-bye.
• Regularly change your password, and try to use different passwords at FaceBook or LinkedIn than you’ve used at your online banking site.
• Do not respond to one-off pop-ups encouraging you to meet a new friend or perform any action that’s atypical.
• If you do become a victim of harassment, save the conversations and whatever information is applicable. You may need it later when you’re talking to the police.
• Refer to GetNetWise (http://www.getnetwise.org/) for more detailed advice on a safe Internet experience, particularly as it relates to families, kids, and the websites they visit.
