Archives - Social Media Scams


Delete accounts you haven’t used in six months or longer

If you do not regularly use an account, it shouldn’t exist. If an account that you don’t check regularly gets hacked, you may not even notice until the hacker causes significant damage. You may think that your old social media accounts don’t contain much sensitive information, but you’d be surprised. They might contain your email, […]

Please review with care before posting on social networks

The Internet is a public resource – post only information you are comfortable with anyone seeing. This includes information and photos in your profile and in blogs and other forums. Also, once you post information online, you can’t retract it. Even if you remove the information from a site, saved or cached versions may still […]

Watch out for strangers on social networks

The Internet makes it easy for people to distort their identities and intentions. Consider restricting the people who are allowed to contact you on these social sites. If you interact with people you do not know, be careful about the amount of information you reveal or especially agreeing to meet them in person.

Restrict certain users on Instagram

Instagram allows you to restrict a user, which is effectively a shadow-ban. Once restricted, their comments can’t be seen by anyone else. The restricted user gets no indication that they’ve been limited, making “restrict” often a better option than “block,” since the latter results in them noticing they can’t see your feed.

People aren’t always who they say they are online

People of all ages need to be wary of strangers and those appearing to be your friends or loved ones online. It is too easy for criminals to hide their true identity and appear trustworthy. If someone asks to be your friend on a social media platform, only accept their request if you know them. […]

If something looks suspicious, delete it

Links in email, social media posts, texts, and online advertising are often how cybercriminals try to steal your personal information. Even if you know the source, when in doubt, throw it out. Definitely don’t click on a link from a stranger. Employ an email scanning software that scans your email for suspicious emails.