Leave the oversharing to your aunt on Facebook: Some apps share your data with other people, not just advertisers. This includes big names like Google Maps and Venmo. Here’s how to change the privacy settings. (I wish I had room for all the steps here!)
5 things that make you a target online
Too many people share just about everything online. That’s a one-way ticket to Scamtown. Some info makes you an especially prime target. Keep these close to the vest.
1. Your relationship status
Widows and widowers are big targets. Crooks want to get their grimy hands on inheritance money. Take Rosalie Douglass, who tried her hand at online dating and listed “widow” as her relationship status. Two different scammers connected with Rosalie and swindled her out of a staggering $430,000.
Pro tip: If you’re a widow or widower, keep it off your dating and social media apps. You never know who’s watching.
2. Your vacation plans
Tiffany posted about her family’s upcoming Carnival cruise on Facebook by sharing shots of her tickets. She didn’t think about the fact her booking reference number was included. The same day, a scammer created a new Carnival account using Tiffany’s confirmation number. They canceled her booking and ruined her $15,000 trip.
Pro tip: Announcing your vacation plans before or during your trip screams “Rob me!” Take tons of pics on your vacation, but don’t share them until you’re home.
3. Videos of you talking
AI tools make it cheap and easy for anyone to create a deepfake video. Recently, on TikTok, a woman named Sam said a shady brand stole her face and used it to promote their product. They did it all with a video from her social media account and some deepfake software.
Pro tip: Limit the personal information you share online, especially high-quality photos and videos of you talking. For most folks, setting your social media accounts to “private” is the way to go.
4. Expensive electronics you’re selling
A South Carolina man listed a limited-edition PlayStation on a Facebook buy-sell-trade group. The “buyer” he met up with pulled out a gun and made off with the PlayStation, plus the man’s phone, wallet and watch. Scary.
Most people make this major mistake: Sharing photos
You meet someone on a dating app, then take the conversation to text messages. Things are going well, and you send a picture of the sunrise one morning. Harmless, right? Boom! You may have just given away your exact location.
Over-share-enting: Former online influencer babies are all grown up and they want laws to protect kids from parents oversharing online. One woman said when she was nine, her mom posted about her first period online, saying, “My baby girl’s a woman today.” Maybe we need to go back to good old-fashioned baby books.
Trying to hide private details in a photo? This is the WORST way (but we'll show you the best)
Social media was made for sharing. Family and friends from far away can check out your wedding photos or that delicious steak you had last night. Post pictures of your trip to Bora Bora and let your loved ones live vicariously through you.
Checklist: 7 essential online security steps you can't skip
Security threats are pretty much everywhere online these days. Data breaches, phishing scams, ransomware attacks and identity thieves are just a few things we need to watch for.
While some threats are out of our control, many can be prevented with just a little time and effort on our part — but that’s the problem. Not enough people take security as seriously as they should. Want to find out if your data has been part of a breach? Tap or click here for a tool that can show you.
10 questions about social media you're too embarrassed to ask
It’s hard to find someone not on social media these days. Recent numbers claim seven out of 10 Americans use social media, and about 75% of Facebook users frequent the site at least once a day. These platforms have changed the way we communicate, but that innovation comes with a big cost: Privacy.
6 privacy and security mistakes you’re making on social media
Pop quiz: What percentage of American adults use social media? Think about it and I’ll tell you the answer below.
From Facebook to Twitter to Instagram and all the sites in between, we’re voluntarily giving out more information online than ever. Tap or click to get a closer look at exactly what Google knows about you and the steps to erase it.
6 social media privacy mistakes you're making right now
How detailed is your favorite social media profile? You probably have pictures of yourself and your kids going back years. What about all the products and companies you’ve “liked?” No matter what your answer is, you’ve probably still shared more than you should with social media companies and their advertisers.
Warning! Nigerian crime ring stealing millions in U.S. unemployment money
The COVID-19 pandemic has put millions of Americans out of work, with over 30 million unemployment claims submitted since the start of the crisis. As the months drag on, there’s no sign of when the job cuts will stop — or when economic recovery can begin in earnest.
8 things you should never do online
A good deal of the hardships we experience online are self-inflicted. Hackers can use the personal details we post on social media to attack us. Using easy-to-crack passwords puts you at risk for dangerous data breaches and clicking malicious links can lead to huge headaches.