Sometimes, a well-known YouTube series – especially those by an influencer – will feature fake accounts  in the comments section. These people or bots may pretend to be the YouTuber, mimicking their language to encourage you to click a phishing link. Fake prizes are a common hook; they often target some of the biggest accounts […]

Snapchat allows other users to add you based on mutual friends or interests. This sounds fairly safe, but might expose you to unwanted attention, or even scammers who know someone you once added to your phone and forgot about. Nefarious Snapchat requests can spread through a network of people from a single contacts book. To […]

Try not to post information that might make you vulnerable, such as your address or information about your schedule or routine. If your social connections post information about you, make sure the combined information is not more than you would be comfortable with strangers knowing. Also be considerate when posting information, including photos, about your […]

Facebook allows you to set up alerts for when a new login attempt occurs on your account. You can choose to receive a text or email notification when your account is accessed from a new device, giving you a real-time warning of potentially suspicious activity. There’s also an option to go one step further and […]

When online a little bit of skepticism is helpful. People can post false or misleading information about various topics, including their own identities on social networking websites. It’s not always done with malicious intent; it could be unintentional, an exaggeration, or a joke. Take appropriate precautions, though, and try to verify the authenticity of any […]

Services like Bitly are great for creating unique short URLs and keeping character length down. This is particularly relevant for social media posts, especially Twitter — where every character counts (quite literally!). But be vigilant before opening these types of links. The abbreviated URL could be hiding malicious intent.