SAFETY ON SOCIAL MEDIA, is someone using your name and profile?
Since we are on a roll here about Facebook and other social media sites, we wanted to muse on safety on social media. Are you aware that your friends list can be stolen by people who want to do you or your friends harm ? What is their goal? What possible reason would they want to claim your profile and your identity? Is your wall open to be viewed by the public? Are you aware that your personal information is just a click away and can be used to literally destroy your life? Do you tell people about your latest planned holiday and therefore letting the world know your home is a target for a robbery? Do you post your kids photos on social media? Are you aware pictures can be used for purposes too ghastly to even think about by using free imaging software? Have you ever gotten a request from someone who is already a friend only to get a notice with a panicked message DON’T ACCEPT THIS FRIEND REQUEST, IT IS NOT ME!!!! Are you aware that your children can be contacted by potential dangerous individuals? Do you know what your kids are doing on social media? Do you monitor who their friends are and what they are posting?
Here are some answers to these questions, let’s take it step by step.
First, if you get nothing out of this muse, at least do yourself a favor and hide your friend list to everyone, even your friends. Soul Sisters is providing a link at the end of this blog that is easy to follow. Do yourself a favor, take the 10 minutes and do the steps. They are simple and will make your family safer.
Now, on to what is possible and what has happened to friends and relatives of ours, listen to their horror stories and ask yourself if this is the right thing for you to do by closing up your wall.
A friend of ours, who was so excited to share her holiday plans on Facebook but was robbed within hours of leaving her flat. The police questioned her and found out that she had told everyone she knew when she was leaving and how long she would be gone. The robbers took all her valuables. The police told her that she might have been better just leaving the door open with all the information she gave on Twitter as well as Facebook and avoided the broken window they smashed to gain entry. Here in the UK we recently read about a teen who was lured by a very cute, cheeky boy she met on social media. It turned out he was not a boy but a 62 year old sex offender. Thank goodness her mother saw the plans with directions to the place they were to meet whilst cleaning her daughters room before the girl left for the meeting and called the authorities. When the man got to the meeting place, he was met with the police. A disaster was averted.
One of our own Soul Sisters was the victim of a friend request from someone, who she already was friends with but got an additional request. Thinking that this person started a new Facebook profile for some reason, she accepted. The thief took on her identity and sent pornographic photos to her friends. The woman was gutted (devastated) that her family and friends were sent these videos. After that incident she closed her Facebook account never to return.
Reading and investigating about this subject, we have discovered that it is also common for thieves to search Facebook profiles and lift photo’s of your friends, family and children. They start a new Facebook profile and friend request again. The thieves then steal photographs from other profiles and create destruction. This is called a “ghost profile” Are you sure you are actually friends with them? Do you really know them. What are the Prats doing? They are gathering information about you and your friends, who also have their walls up for all the world to see. Their objectives might even be more sinister. The problem is you may never even know if this has happened and that person is impersonating you. Look up your name on Facebook. Is there another YOU? Look at their friends list if visible and see if your photographs are duplicated and there are some of your friends who are on that list along with others who are not on that list. A whole new you is now sending messages and talking with your friends and others about personal information.
Messaging on Facebook can introduce a worm into your computer or malware that comes in the chat box. Do not accept chat messages from people you don’t know lest you be a victim of this. Please read the link below. So don’t ever accept a message from someone you don’t know. We have noticed a change in messaging now, you can either accept the message when you don’t know the sender or reject. Our advice reject. Why would someone send you a message if you don’t know them? Be safe
The advise here is to make your wall private. There is no reason for those who are not your friends to see your personal information. Nor is there any reason for them to see who your friends are. The setting’s should be only me. Protect your friends and advise them to protect their friends by doing the same. They are putting you in danger if they will not comply to a simple request to hide their friends. Personally, if they won’t, they are not your friends after all and you need to make a decision to discontinue that online friendship.
From our hearts to yours, Soul Sisters
http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/facebook-m...
You Tube video instructions on advanced Facebook settings: