Hold that thought !
Business
Permission or Theft ?
By : Becky Sill Independent LegalShield Associate www . beckysill . com
We have all seen them . The “ let ’ s get to know each other ” post on social media where friends think they are innocently sharing information with “ friends ”. The challenge is knowing who your friends really are . Do you know all of your friends on facebook ….. I mean , personally ? The obvious answer is no . They are friends of friends who may have worked somewhere you did 6 years ago or has a common interest or hobby like horseback riding , cars , running , etc .. You get the idea . You really don ’ t KNOW them .
Hold that thought !
These social media questionnaires are requesting personal identifiable information . Where were you born , what is your date of birth , your favorite pet , your first pets name , favorite vacation spot , childhood friend ? Now , let ’ s think about what types of privacy questions are asked when completing applications and setting up passwords . If I had to guess , I ’ d say you have used at least one of these questions / answers as a password for protecting personal identifiable information . These are things we know and things we remember . It ’ s easy .
Now , back to our original thought . Many have open privacy settings on social media which means anyone can see anything you post . Your seemingly innocent post revealing possible passwords and personal identifiable information is now visible not only to your friends , but to friends of friends , and identity thieves waiting for you to give them “ permission ” to access your personal information . You have basically said , “ here ’ s my password , I dare you ”! So , be careful what you post on social media and what you use for passwords . Identity Thieves are very good at protecting their identity ! Are you ?