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Social networking sites are the
hippest new meeting places around. These sites enable people to post
information about themselves and communicate with others around the
world using forums, interest groups, blogs, chat rooms, email, and
instant messaging. While you can make new friends through social
networking sites, you may also be exposed to embarrassing situations and
people who have bad intentions, such as hackers, identity thieves, con
artists, and predators. Protect yourself by taking some common-sense
precautions.
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Guard your financial and other
sensitive information. Never provide or post your Social
Security number, address, phone number, bank account or credit card
numbers, or other personal information that could be used by
criminals.
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Picture social networking
sites as billboards in cyberspace. Police, college admissions
personnel, employers, stalkers, con artists, nosy neighbors – anyone
can see what you post. Don’t disclose anything about yourself, your
friends, or family members that you wouldn’t want to be made public.
And remember that once information appears on a Web site, it can
never be completely erased. Even if it’s modified or deleted, older
versions may exist on others’ computers. Some social networking
sites allow users to restrict access to certain people. Understand
how the site works and what privacy choices you may have.
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Be cautious about meeting your
new cyber friends in person. After all, it’s hard to judge
people by photos or information they post about themselves. If you
decide to meet someone in person, do so during the day in a public
place, and ask for information that you can verify, such as the
person’s place of employment.
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Think twice before clicking on
links or downloading attachments in emails. They may contain
viruses or spyware that could damage your computer or steal your
personal information – including your online passwords and account
numbers. Some messages may “spoof,” or copy the email addresses of
friends to fool you into thinking that they’re from them. Don’t
click on links or download attachments in emails from strangers, and
if you get an unexpected message from someone whose address you
recognize, check with them directly before clicking on links or
attachments.
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Protect your computer. A
spam filter can help reduce the number of unwanted emails you get.
Anti-virus software, which scans incoming messages for troublesome
files, and anti-spyware software, which looks for programs that have
been installed on your computer and track your online activities
without your knowledge, can protect you from online identity theft.
Firewalls prevent hackers and unauthorized communications from
entering your computer – which is especially important if you have a
broadband connection because your computer is open to the Internet
whenever it’s turned on. Look for programs that offer automatic
updates and take advantage of free patches that manufacturers offer
to fix newly discovered problems. Go to
www.staysafeonline.org or
www.onguardonline.gov to learn more about how to keep your
computer secure.
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Beware of con artists.
Criminals scan social networking sites to find potential victims for
all sorts of scams, from phony lotteries to bogus employment and
business opportunities to investment fraud. In some cases they
falsely befriend people and then ask for money for medical expenses
or other emergencies, or to come to the United States from another
country. Go to
www.fraud.org to learn more about how to recognize different
types of Internet fraud.
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