How to be safe on Social Media

Social media channels have become a source of entertainment. They have also become a source where illegal activities can take place.

Sharing too much information about yourself on social media could make it very easy for fraudsters to gain access to your accounts or even steal your identity. Please remember that information that is shared on social media is accessible by anyone.

Securing your phone or computer with an automatic time out and password can keep strangers from accessing your personal social media pages and personal information on your device.

Be sure to log out of accounts that are not in use.

Authorities are warning that you should not enter personal information by taking quizzes in social media channels. You may be putting yourself at risk of Identity Theft and fraud.

Many questions asked in social media quizzes are similar to security questions asked by financial institutions, insurance agencies and health care providers when setting up online accounts. Fraudsters can easily hack established accounts or create new ones if they have access to answers to question like the following:

Who was your childhood best friend?
What was the name of your first grade teacher?
What was the name of your first pet?

No one is exempt from being a victim of fraud.  Think twice before revealing personal information online.