Be mindful of what you post online. Some things about your life are good to share on social media, but below is a list of some things you shouldn’t post online to keep you and your family safe.
- Don’t post that you will be on a trip. This lets potential thieves know that your house is a target. Post pictures about your trip after you return home. Likewise,
- Don’t share where you live. Sharing where you live could be an invitation for an attack or robbery.
- Avoid mentioning too much about your day-to-day schedule. The wrong person knowing when and where you are can lead to a dangerous situation.
- Don’t share personal information like passwords, login information, or credit card numbers, even in direct messages.
- Don’t post anything you don’t want the world to read.
- Keep your privacy settings on. Regularly review the privacy settings on your social media accounts.
- Restrict who follows you on social media. Consider limiting how much colleagues and other professional acquaintances know about your personal life.
- Don’t accept friend requests from people you don’t know.
- Block your tweets and posts from search engines, so they’re only visible to your followers. Remember that any follower can screenshot what you write, even if they can’t retweet it.
- Don’t link your social media accounts. Anytime you link an account, you’re increasing the visibility of whatever you post across multiple platforms. Personal information that’s available in many places makes you more vulnerable to phishers.
- Don’t post personal information that is commonly used for passwords or password security questions, like the name of your elementary school or pet’s name. Avoid posting about where you bank and shop. Even seemingly harmless facts can help scammers locate you.
Adapted from the articles “50 Internet Safety Tips for 2023” and “Protect Yourself Online,” published by Deseret First Credit Union”.