ShoreBank Blog

Tips to Avoid Online Identity Theft on Social Networking Sites

by Donna on December 10th, 2008

Guest Contributor: Donna Pfeil, VP, Associate Director, Network & Information Security Svcs

The holidays and winter drives many people into hibernation. Who in their right mind wants to brave the snow and ice to buy yet another gift for a distant relative or down egg nog with co-workers whom 40 hours a week with is already too much time spent together? With the Internet you can do both–shop and network–from the friendly confines of your own home.  Thanks to social networking sites, such as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter and others, we can get connect with friends, discover lost classmates and real bargins, even find a new job perhaps with co-workers we might want to one day share an egg nog with, or perhaps make new friends who share similar interests.

But before you are lulled into the false sense of security or comfort that is easily derived from using social networking sites, remember to guard your privacy carefully while communicating.  Sometimes, like in any conversation, we can share more than we need to or what is good for us. Social networking sites unfortunately like many other things today, are also targeted by a new wave of cybercriminals, or those who are looking to take advantage or defraud users for their own gain.

So before you begin “hibernating” and surfing the Internet this holiday season, please be aware of some of the dangers lurking online:

· Identity Theft—Social networking sites often include prompts for information like things like age, date of birth, e-mail address, phone number, and mother’s maiden name in order to steal one’s identity that will “open the doors” for others to defraud you. It is  wise to never share or publish  passwords, social security numbers and other pertinent information that makes it easier for thieves to gain access to programs for doing business online that will end up costing you money and your good credit score.

· Malware—The use of images and video clips by spammers to infect your computer with malware (malicious software, which includes computer viruses, Trojan horses, adware, and spyware). It is easy for a cybercriminal to pose as a member of a social networking site, and then send his “friends” a message containing a link that will silently download harmful software when it is opened.  Only open those attachments and programs from people you really know.

· Impersonation—Social networking sites typically don’t authenticate new members. That means the people you meet on a site may not be who they claim to be. Criminals and mischief-makers can also copy photos and information from your profile, and use it to masquerade as you—either online or offline (for instance, by creating a fake ID in your name).  Watch out for impersonation in all its forms.

· Social Engineering—Information gathered from social networking sites by criminals seemingly involved in a legitimate enterprise who will steal your identity and use it for their own benefit. Therefore, do not respond via online, despite how much they seem to know about you.

Tips for Safe Social Networking

· Limit the information you post—Be careful about posting facts that might be used by other sites (such as a credit card or bank site) to verify your identity. For your personal safety, avoid posting too many details about your future plans and whereabouts.  These details can leave you vulnerable to stalkers, burglars, etc..

· Be discreet—Don’t post anything that you do not want everyone to see.  Avoid confidential information whether yours or that of the company you work for.

· Be skeptical—A lot of good information is available online, but there is also a lot of disinformation, rumor, and opinion. Don’t believe everything you read online, and double-check your facts before taking any action.

· Be wary—It’s easy for people on social networking sites to impersonate someone else, such as one of your friends or acquaintances, or to misrepresent the facts about themselves including age, gender, and intentions. Don’t trust someone you have just met online any more than you would trust a stranger encountered in an offline setting.

· Check privacy policies and settings—Take the time to read the privacy policy of a social networking site which will tell you what types of information they will share or sell to third-parties. If you don’t agree with a site’s policies, don’t use it. If the site allows you to adjust how much information about you is available, for instance, by allowing only close friends to view your profile, consider using this feature.

· Validate information requests – Many companies, including ShoreBank, will never solicit you for private information outside of the normal course of business. If you receive any email from ShoreBank or any company asking to verify private information or collecting information and passwords, do not respond to the email.  Instead, call the official customer service center of the company and validate the request with a known source.

For more information on identity theft, malware, and ways to protect yourself online, the FDIC has generously allowed us to share this fun and useful video with you–just click http://www.fdic.gov/consumers/consumer/guard/index.html.

Tags: community development, green banking, identity theft protection, ShoreBank Direct, social media, triple bottom line

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 10th, 2008 and is filed under Banking Industry. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.