Constant posting, interactions and communications shape our digital world. Many of us use social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to share our experiences and thoughts. But this openness also carries risks. Personal information revealed on social media can be exploited by criminals.

The diversity of information

Social media users share a variety of information: photos from their last vacation, experiences from their workday, memories of family gatherings, and much more. It's often everyday things that we want to share with friends and acquaintances. But it is precisely this information that can help criminals get a picture of us, understand our habits and plan targeted attacks.

How Fraudsters Use Information: Identity Theft

Identity theft is a common example. Suppose a user posts a photo of their new pet and includes the animal's name. This name could be the answer to an online account security question. A fraudster could use this information to gain access to this account.

In another scenario, a user could share information about their job and education. With this information, a fraudster could create a fake profile and attempt to gain the trust of colleagues, customers or employers. This could lead to financial loss, reputational damage and other problems.

The grandchild trick and other fraud methods

Another example is the so-called grandchild trick, in which fraudsters pretend to be relatives or friends on the phone and pretend to be in an emergency. They ask the victim for money and promise to pay it back as quickly as possible. Sharing photos and details of family gatherings or events can help scammers make their story more credible.

Imagine a user posts photos of his grandmother and includes her name and place of residence. A scammer could use this information to call the grandmother, pretend to be her grandson, and ask for money. He could use details from the social media posts to make his story credible.

The dangers of location information

Many users also share information about their whereabouts or travel plans. This information can be used by criminals to plan break-ins. For example, if a user posts photos of their vacation at the beach and states that they are away for two weeks, a burglar could use this information to know that the user's house is likely empty.

Possible scenarios if they post:

Status posts with information about current events

Information about your daily activities can help scammers understand your routines and habits. You can use this information to determine when you are likely to be away from home, or when you are likely to be online or distracted and therefore less likely to notice suspicious activity.

Pictures and videos from family vacations

Such images could alert a scammer that your home may be empty for a certain period of time. This could increase the risk of break-ins. Additionally, details about your children, such as their appearance or names, could be used by scammers to gain your children's trust and potentially manipulate them.

Pictures and videos of Christmas with the whole family

Such photos and videos could allow fraudsters to obtain information not only about your family members, but also about your home (e.g. appearance, location of valuables, etc.). This information could be used to plan break-ins, identity theft or fraud.

Status post from the last company party

These posts may contain details about your workplace and your colleagues. Fraudsters could use this information to impersonate you or one of your colleagues to gain access to company resources or commit financial fraud.

Image of plane ticket to vacation

Such an image could contain information such as your full name, flight details and even your booking number. Scammers could use this information to change your booking, remove you from your flight, or even impersonate you and create a false passport or ID.

Status post which person you will vote for in the coming elections

Such a post may reveal information about your political views and beliefs. This may seem harmless at first, but scammers could use this information to manipulate you by spreading fake news or propaganda tailored to your political views.

Picture of grandma's birthday and family where you tag all family members on Facebook

This could provide scammers with valuable information about your family, including their names, appearance, and relationships with each other. This could be used to gain trust, steal identities, or even commit the “grandchild trick” or similar scams.

Photo of the child in front of school on the first day of school

Such an image could reveal the name and location of your child's school, endangering their safety. It could also be used by scammers to gain your child's trust or to blackmail you or your family.

Photo of the garden and house at a barbecue with neighbors

Such images could reveal details about your home and neighborhood, which could increase the risk of a break-in. They could also entice scammers to target you or your neighbors for scams or identity theft.

Video about buying and driving the new car

This video could reveal details about your car (like make, model, license plate, and even vehicle identification number) and your financial situation. This could be used by fraudsters for car theft, fraud, or identity theft.

Video of children dancing in front of their school for TikTok

Such a video could reveal information about your children's whereabouts and habits, endangering their safety. It could also be used by scammers to gain your children's trust, manipulate them, or blackmail you and your family.

“Today is an exciting day! I'm looking forward to celebrating my 70th birthday in my favorite city, Paris. Can't wait to catch my flight tomorrow and spend the next two weeks exploring this beautiful city. PS: This is the first time I have to leave my sweet kitten Whiskers home alone. I hope she won’t miss me too much.”

This post reveals various information that a scammer could use:

  1. The user will not be at home, increasing the risk of a break-in.
  2. The user has a pet, which could be used by fraudsters as leverage, for example to demand money for alleged vet bills.
  3. It could also be used to pressure the user with fake emergencies or scam scenarios, such as pretending that the pet is in the scammer's care and demanding a ransom for its return.
  4. The exact birthday and location could be used to identify personal information for identity theft or fraudulent activities.

or

“Incredibly proud of my son Tim, who had his first day of school at YXZ Elementary School today! He already loves his class teacher, Mr. Schmidt. And I'm so grateful that we only live five minutes away. I can’t wait to see how he grows and learns over the next few years!”

This post reveals several personal information that could be exploited by scammers:

  1. The child's name and the name of their school are revealed. This can enable fraudsters to carry out targeted attacks or scams by impersonating a school teacher or school administrator.
  2. Information that the school is only five minutes away could lead scammers to identify the approximate location of residence.
  3. Mentioning a specific teacher could allow scammers to impersonate that teacher in order to gain the user's trust and potentially request sensitive information or induce fraudulent actions.

How to protect yourself

Being aware of these risks is the first step to protection. Before sharing personal information, ask yourself: Could this information be used against me by someone with malicious intent?

You should not share sensitive information such as your full address, telephone number, date of birth or the name of any pets. Think carefully about whether you want to share details about your current location, travel plans, or daily habits.

Check your privacy settings on social networks and make sure you only communicate with trusted people. Be careful when receiving requests or messages from people you do not know, especially if they ask for personal information or money.

Use social media sensitively: post, but carefully

Social media is a valuable tool for networking and exchanging experiences. For many people, it is unimaginable to avoid these channels completely. It's more about finding a balance and paying attention to what information we put into the digital space. Always be aware that what you post on the Internet is potentially visible to everyone.

Imagine posting your information on a large billboard on a busy street. Would you feel comfortable letting strangers know these details about your life? If the answer is no, you should think again before posting this information on the Internet.

If you e.g. For example, if you want to post a photo from your last trip, you can choose not to reveal the exact location or not post the photo until you get home. You can also decide whether to publish your child's name or the exact location of your child's school.

Regularly review your privacy settings across platforms to ensure you only share information with people you trust. You may also consider not sharing certain information, such as your birthday or full name, to reduce the risk of identity theft.

The most important thing is that you are aware of your digital footprint and remain in control of what information you share and who has access to that information. Here's how you can take advantage of social media without compromising your security and privacy. Be smart, be careful and share wisely.

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Notes:
1) This content reflects the current state of affairs at the time of publication. The reproduction of individual images, screenshots, embeds or video sequences serves to discuss the topic. 2) Individual contributions were created through the use of machine assistance and were carefully checked by the Mimikama editorial team before publication. ( Reason )