Protect Your Info On Facebook

Social networking is a great way to keep in touch with past friends and colleagues that you would have otherwise maybe never talked to again.  The problem with social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace however, is that people tend to give away a lot of personal information.  The free exchange of personal info that’s easily visible to anyone surfing the internet is a perfect environment for identity thieves.  So the first step to protecting yourself, is knowing what an identity thief is looking for, so you can protect yourself.

Identity thieves typically look to find your name and the area in which you live.  That usually gives them a good starting point to finding out enough about you to steal your identity.  Which is why it’s common sense to protect that information on a social networking site.  Most sites offer you the ability to hide your full name to those just browsing the site.  But allow you to register with your full name so that a person you know will be able to find you through a search.  Take advantage of this ability, so that your full name is never displayed to anyone besides the people you actually know.

Avoid any email from a person you don’t know via social networking that asks for personal information.  Even if the email looks like it’s from a site administrator.  Never give out information in an email unless you absolutely trust the source, as nine times out of ten it’s a scam.

Try to use social networking sites wisely.  Don’t just add anyone that is asking to be your friend.  Try to restrict your page to people you actually know.  Many times an identity thief will ask to be added to your friends list so that they may gain access to your more personal information.  Avoid this simply by not accepting any friend request from a person that you don’t know.