Subject File COMMUNICATION and MEDIA: Internet privacy and security

Does Over-Sharing Leave You Open to the Risk of Identity Theft?

Generally speaking, social media is a pretty nifty tool for keeping in touch. Platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn offer us a thousand different ways in which we can remain plugged in at all times. However, our seemingly endless capacity for sharing, swiping, liking and retweeting has some negative ramifications, not the least of which is that it opens us up as targets for identity theft.

People are often surprised at how simple it is for fraudsters to commit identity theft via social media. However, we seem to forget just how much personal information goes onto social media – our names, location, contact info, personal details – all of this is more than enough for a skilled fraudster to commit identity theft.

Simple phishing software or malware can swipe users’ account information without their having ever known that they were targeted, thus leaving all of the user’s friends and family vulnerable to such attacks.

Identity Theft Over the Years

Identity theft isn’t a new criminal activity; in fact, it’s been around for years. What’s new is the method criminals are using to part people from their sensitive information.

Fraud techniques have evolved at the same pace as technology developments.

Considering how long identity theft has been a consumer threat, it’s unlikely that we’ll be rid of this inconvenience any time soon.

How to Defend Against Social Media Fraud

For celebrities, politicians, CEOs and other well-known individuals, it can be much more difficult to defend against social media impersonators, owing simply to the individual’s notoriety. However, for your everyday user, there are steps which we can take to help prevent this form of fraud.

• Make use of any security settings offered by social media platforms. Examples of these include privacy settings, captcha puzzles and warning pages informing you that you are being redirected offsite.
• Do not share login info, not even with people you trust. Close friends and family might still accidentally make you vulnerable if they are using your account.
• Be wary of what information you share. Keep your personal info under lock and key, and never give out highly sensitive information like your social security number or driver’s license number.
• Do not reuse passwords. Have a unique password for every account you hold.
• Consider changing inessential info. You don’t have to put your real birthday on Facebook.
• Only accept friend requests from people who seem familiar.

Antivirus software, malware blockers and firewalls can only do so much. In the end, your discretion is your best line of defence against identity fraud.

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