How not to drag online risks into real life
Meeting people online? Yay! Sharing location with apps? Not a big deal. Sharing every move on Instagram? How did we even live without it?
It seems that what is done on the web stays on the web but it is hardly so. Let’s see how little thoughtless steps may lead to serious problems outside of your browser.
Money loss
When companies know some of your personal details, they can actually lure you into spending more than necessary.
For example, hotel owners and airlines show different prices to different customers. It depends on how many times you searched for a specific offer, where you are located or even which device you use to browse. US-based Apple users seem to be in the worst money-losing position.
The same goes for intrusive ads. You get bombarded with offers based on your previous searches and purchases. No wonder, you might get tempted to buy not-so-useful stuff from the suggested shop even if the price is not the best one.
Stalking
Imagine a girl meeting a guy online. She only revealed her name and a city she lives in. Oh, and he saw her photo. A quick Facebook search — and the next day he is waiting for her at the entrance to her office. Moreover, in the evening he sneakily follows her home. Eventually, the guy knows way more than the girl originally wanted to share on the web.
By the way, gender is not a determining factor here, as this story proves. A woman stalked a man she met online sending him over 65,000 text messages and breaking into his house.
Kidnapping
Stalking may escalate to things way worse. One of the examples is a story of Alicia Kozakiewicz who became a victim of a rapist. A 13-year-old girl was abducted, held captive for four days and tortured by a man she met online. Alicia was lucky to be saved by the FBI. After she overcame her trauma, she initiated a project to raise awareness on the matters of internet safety.
Robbery
Instagram photos of one’s home followed by posts about a long journey is an ideal combo to attract burglars. Sometimes the criminals don’t even wait for the homeowner to leave. Such is the case when a man was robbed by a gang after bragging about his luxury lifestyle on Instagram.
So what?
All of these cases prove that carefree attitude towards online privacy may result in serious trouble in the real world. It might be worth thinking twice before bragging on social media or open up to strangers online.
