There are multiple ways for identity thieves to get a hold of sensitive information. If you have been affected by identity theft, it’s possible that it was entirely out of your control. This doesn’t mean, however, that you have zero control when it comes to protecting your identity online, especially on social media platforms.
It seems like everyone is using some form of social media today. Whether it’s to stay in touch with family and friends, watch the latest viral videos, or to stay informed with the news, social media helps us stay connected to the people and things we most enjoy.
Triangle Credit Union actively uses Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn to stay in touch with our members, and for our members to communicate with us. But did you know social media platforms of all types pose a risk for potential identity theft if you do not take precautions?
We put together some tips on what you can do to ensure you are using social media in a secure way.
Regularly check your privacy settings. Make sure all your personal information is either private or visible only to your friends and/or family. When your privacy settings are lenient, the easier access becomes for fraudsters to collect your information. It’s important to note that having tight privacy settings does not mean that hackers won’t be able to access your information, just that it would be more difficult.
Keep your personal information private. Avoid sharing details such as your full name, date of birth, or other specific identifiers such as the town/city in which you live. If you only use social media with people you know, you may think that omitting this information is not necessary, but the truth is, no matter how private you think your social media pages are, there is always the chance that an identity thief can access that information. If someone were to hack another person on your friends list (family or friends) they can also grab information from your page which it’s why you should leave that information off your pages.
Be careful with information you share through private messaging apps. You may think your conversation is private, but the majority of social media platforms are unsecured, making them vulnerable to hacking. Examples of information you should avoid sharing through private messages include your debit and/or credit card numbers, social security number, financial account details, etc.
Log out of your social media accounts when not in use. This is especially true when using a public computer. The reality is that we all share some private information on our social media, even if it’s only our name and a photo, and you don’t want to give someone easy access to your identity. By not signing out of your accounts, you are allowing whoever uses that computer next access to your recovery emails, credit card information, private messages, etc.
Use Strong Passwords. With many social media platforms out there, it may be tempting to reuse the same password so it’s easy to remember but you should NOT do that. Usually, these passwords include favorite animals, important birthdates, etc. but the BEST passwords are a random combination of letters, numbers and punctuation marks. It’s best to avoid full words that contain any of your personal information because these are the first options identity thefts will use when attempting to hack your accounts. For more information on password protection, read our blog Important Tips to Ensure Password Protection.
Identity theft can be frightening, and unfortunately anyone can be a target. Take a few minutes to change your passwords, adjust your privacy settings and change your usernames. It’s important to take these few extra steps when it comes to your social media accounts to make sure that if you happen to be a target, you’re best prepared to ward off hackers.
