Don’t Give Away Your Identity

People put themselves at risk for Identity Theft everyday when using social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Google Plus. Follow these steps to protect yourself when socializing online.

Use the least amount of information when registering for the site.

Create a strong password and change it often.

Use the highest level of privacy settings the site allows.

Be careful what you post. Do not announce when you are leaving town.

Never post your home address, phone number, social security number, or home town. Only connect to people you already know and trust.

Verify emails and links in emails you supposedly get from your social networking site.

These are very often scams used to gain access to your username and password.

Install a firewall or anti-virus software to protect your information.

USE COMMON SENSE! When in doubt, don’t open it, download it, add it or give your information you have doubts about sharing.

(Image provided by Flickr user Thos003.)

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