When oversharing costs you money
Publishing the details of your personal life on social media may seem like a harmless pastime. But if you don’t share wisely, your posts can have real financial consequences. “There’s a tremendous connection between the kind of information you share on social media and the security of your finances,” says Kyle Marchini, senior analyst for fraud management at Javelin Strategy & Research. So how do you know which posts to publish and which to delete from your social media channels? Read on for 10 posts to avoid publishing to social media.
Your boarding pass
A picture of your airline boarding pass or train ticket, perhaps sandwiched between the pages of your passport, looks very cosmopolitan and hip. But fraudsters can use the information you share to wreak havoc on your finances, experts say. Your airline boarding pass may have a barcode that contains your frequent flyer account number, Marchini says. And savvy financial scammers can use that information to commandeer your loyalty account or rewards profile and use your earnings to buy flights or other goods. “Fraudsters like to take trips to Paris, too, and if they can do it on your dime, all the better,” Marchini says.
Travel plans
Your itinerary is powerful information for thieves because they can “socially engineer you,” Marchini says. For example, they can pose as your bank and call you to say, “We’ve noticed a suspicious transaction from Paris. Could you just share your Social Security number, credit card number and login so we can verify that it was actually you?” Once you hand over the info, they can use it to raid your accounts, open credit in your name or steal from you in other ways. Just as worrying, thieves can simply opt for the old-fashioned scam — and rob your house while you’re on vacation. Word to the wise: If you must post travel details, wait until you’re back home, experts say, then post your photos and vacation stories.
Your smiling teenage son holding his new driver’s license
Hooray! Junior passed his driving exam. Fraudsters might be celebrating, too, because they can zoom in on that picture and pick up important information, including his name, address and date of birth. “On that one little card, you have a ton of personally identifiable information that’s incredibly useful for criminals,” says Brian Lapidus, practice leader of the identity theft and breach notification group at Kroll, a company that helps organizations prevent and respond to cybersecurity risks.
Your credit card
You might be proud of the specialty credit card you nabbed with your high credit score. But that information makes it almost too easy for thieves to copy it and make charges to your account, experts say.
Unnecessary personally identifiable information
Just because Facebook asks for it doesn’t mean you have to share it. Keep your phone number, email address, date of birth, home address and other information private whenever possible. “All of these data points can be used by someone to compromise your identity,” Lapidus says. “You’re giving them the building blocks.”
Lots of information about your kids
Yes, your baby is cute. But posting every minute detail about her name, birthday, first day of school, grade and other information is a goldmine for fraudsters. Your child’s identity is especially tempting to fraudsters since children haven’t had the chance to build, or ruin, their credit. A down-on-his-luck uncle or angry ex-spouse may use that information to commit familiar fraud and steal your child’s identity, which you may not discover until your kid turns 18.
Pictures of you drinking or doing drugs
Nearly all potential employers do an online search of their candidates and examine their social media footprint, says Joe Weinlick, chief marketing officer at Nexxt, a Pennsylvania-based recruitment media company. If employers take one look at your social media profile and reject you for a job, then it’s certainly having a negative impact on your finances. Make sure to nix any posts of yourself drinking, taking drugs (even if they’re legal in your state) or participating in any behavior that a manager would deem unprofessional, experts say.
Insulting your current employer
Tempted to criticize your company? Tread carefully. “You have to be careful what you say about your employer,” says Cheryl Hyatt, CEO and partner at Hyatt-Fennell, an executive recruiting firm based in Pennsylvania. If you spend all day complaining about your current employer, potential future employers will notice and consider you a risky hire, Weinlick says.
A picture of yourself at the ballgame … after you called in sick
Want to risk losing your job or being passed over for a promotion? Don’t advertise to your bosses that you’re not taking your job seriously by posting pictures of yourself having fun when you’re supposed to be convalescing at home. Even if your account is private, a friend who’s connected to the boss might share it and blow your cover. So be careful.
Nothing
With all these potential downsides, it’s tempting to want to delete your social media profile altogether and throw your computer out the window. Don’t do it, experts say. Many employers want to see some professional social media posts. “You have to have some kind of social presence if you’re a professional,” Hyatt says. While you can’t live in fear of social media, use discretion when posting, experts say. Make sure to regularly check and tighten security settings on private accounts and continue using sound judgment when making public posts.
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10 Social Media Posts That Can Endanger Your Finances originally appeared on usnews.com
