Buzz
A practical guide to staying secure on social media platforms and websites
Social networking sites are a great way to stay in touch with friends and family, but it's crucial to understand the potential risks involved. We spoke with Sgt. Scott Nelson, JD, an expert in digital forensics, to highlight some of the threats on social media and how you can protect yourself or your children from scammers, blackmailers, stalkers, and online bullies. This article offers practical advice on how to stay safe on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, and more, as well as tips for parents and common scams to be aware of.
Ensure your posts are private and restrict who can reach out to you. Avoid oversharing details, keep your location hidden, and never send photos to strangers. Be cautious of phishing links in messages or requests for money, and always enable two-factor authentication.
Instructions
Steps to Safeguard Yourself
Secure your privacy settings. Most social networking platforms allow you to make your profile, posts, and photos private. However, until you update these settings, your activity is typically visible to the public. Take time to explore your favorite social media platform's privacy settings to know who can view your posts. You can also manage these settings to control who can find you or contact you directly on the app.
- TikTok – Navigate to ☰ > Settings and Privacy > Privacy.
- Instagram – Go to ☰ > Account Privacy.
- Snapchat – Tap the gear on your profile and scroll to the "Privacy Controls" section.
- Facebook – Head to ☰ > Settings & Privacy > Privacy Checkup.
- LinkedIn – Click or tap your profile icon and select Settings & Privacy.
Be mindful of what you share. Once something is posted on social media, removing it entirely can be challenging. Even if you delete a post, someone may have taken a screenshot. Be cautious about sharing sensitive information like your address, phone number, birthday, or travel plans, as it can expose you to identity theft, stalking, cyberbullying, and even blackmail.
Keep your location private. Some social networks offer geotagging features that let you share your location with others. If you’ve granted the app access to your location, others may be able to see where you are posting from. Avoid using location tagging or check-in features so that strangers can't track your whereabouts.
- When sharing photos, pay attention to the background. For instance, posting a selfie outside your house could allow someone to do a reverse image search to find your address.
- If you're using Instagram, consider using humorous locations instead of your real location.
Avoid sending explicit photos or videos. Never send sexual photos or videos to strangers, even if they appear friendly. Similarly, refrain from engaging in sexual conversations or actions over video chat with people you don’t know. Sgt. Scott Nelson points out that sextortion is an increasingly common blackmail scam that typically starts with a friendly or flirtatious chat. Once the blackmailer has compromising content, they may threaten to expose it unless you pay them.
Don't arrange in-person meetings with strangers. If you don't know someone in real life, avoid meeting them face-to-face. If you need to exchange items on Facebook Marketplace, meet in a public place, ideally near a police station, and bring a friend. If you're going on a date with someone you met online, Sgt. Nelson suggests making it a group outing so you can both bring a friend along, even if it’s just for the first part of the date.
Avoid clicking on links in private messages. Scammers frequently use private messages on social platforms to target unsuspecting users, pretending to be new friends, romantic interests, or even people you know. If you receive a message containing a link, a money request, or anything suspicious, resist the urge to click. This holds true even if the message seems to be from a friend—there's a possibility their account was hacked. If you encounter a suspicious link, report it.
- If you suspect the message came from a friend, reach out to them via another means to verify its authenticity.
Enable two-factor authentication on all accounts. Adding an extra step to your login process makes it much harder for hackers to breach your accounts, even if they manage to obtain your password. With two-factor authentication, after entering your password, you'll also be required to enter a one-time code sent to your phone via SMS or an authentication app.
- TikTok - Go to ☰ > Settings and Privacy > Security & Permissions > 2-Step Verification.
- Instagram – Go to ☰ > Settings > See More in Accounts Center > Password and Security > Two-Factor Authentication.
- Snapchat – Tap the gear icon on your profile, then go to Two-Factor Authentication > Continue.
- Facebook – Tap the menu or your profile pic at the top-right, go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Password and Security > Use Two-Factor Authentication.
- LinkedIn – Tap your profile icon and navigate to Settings > Sign-In & Security > Two-Step Verification.
Create strong, unique passwords for each account. Using the same password across all your accounts is risky. If a hacker cracks your password on one platform, they gain access to your accounts everywhere. To safeguard against this, create distinct, strong passwords for every social media account. If remembering all these passwords becomes difficult, consider using a password manager like 1password, Bitwarden, or Dashlane.
Be cautious about accepting friend and follow requests from unfamiliar users. Be wary of strangers who try to reach out to you on social media, especially when you don't share mutual friends. If someone you don't recognize sends you a friend request or starts a conversation unexpectedly, approach with skepticism.
Report bullying, harassment, and abusive behavior. Don't engage with hurtful or abusive messages. Instead, report them to the social media platform. If you're a child facing bullying online, alert a parent or teacher, and avoid interacting with the bully.
Selena Gomez, Founder of Rare Beauty
Don't let social media impact your mental health. "Your worth is not determined by an Instagram post, a like, or a comment. These things do not define you."
Secure your devices. Always ensure that your computer, smartphone, or tablet is up-to-date and that you've installed the latest updates for your social media apps. If you're accessing social media from a computer, make sure you're using antivirus and antimalware software, such as Microsoft Defender (which comes pre-installed with Windows) or AVG.
- Be cautious about downloading unfamiliar apps, especially those that claim to reveal who is "stalking" you on social media—these are often scams.
Don't take everything you read at face value. Unlike verified sources, anyone can post on social media, leading to the spread of misinformation. Even your trusted friends might share unverified information. With AI's progress, even photos and videos can be manipulated. Always verify your sources before believing anything.
- Mytour offers a free course on How to Spot and Counter Disinformation Online. Check out Mytour's free course on Spotting and Countering Disinformation Online.
Potential Scams to Be Aware Of
Investment scams. Be cautious of scammers claiming to have made huge profits from cryptocurrency or FOREX trading, offering enticing returns. They may hack accounts to make it appear that your friends or family are recommending investments. If someone reaches out claiming to have earned significant money through investments and sends you a link or asks for money, report and block them immediately.
Romance scams. Imagine receiving a message from a charming new person on social media. They're warm, engaging, and quickly start complimenting you. They share an emotional or heartbreaking story that tugs at your heart, and a bond forms. While this may feel flattering, it's likely the start of a romance scam. If this new acquaintance insists on moving the conversation to another platform, requests your personal details, or spins a tale about needing money, don't fall for it.
Impersonation scams. Has a friend or relative contacted you on social media asking for money? Scammers often create fake profiles using someone's name and photo, then send friend requests to their real-life connections. Pretending to be that person, they ask for money under the guise of an emergency or investment opportunity. Be wary of friend requests from people already in your network, as they could be impersonators.
Employment scams. Did you receive an offer for a work-from-home job on LinkedIn or Facebook that seems too perfect to be real? It probably is. Scammers target job seekers on social media, conduct fake interviews over the phone, text, or video chat, and then offer the victim a job—only to demand payment for fraudulent fees, equipment, or background checks. No legitimate employer will ever ask you to pay to secure a job.
Marketplace scams. If you shop on Facebook Marketplace, beware of scammers posting fake listings and requesting payments through Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, or other methods that cannot be undone. If you're selling, watch out for scammers who claim to have overpaid you and ask for a refund of the difference—this common scam, especially on Zelle, can result in you losing money.
Blackmail/sextortion scams. These scams involve someone obtaining a compromising photo or video of you. They might trick you into sending a sexual photo or recording, or capture one during a video chat. Once they have the material, they threaten to share it with your friends, family, coworkers, or others unless you pay them money.
What Parents Can Do
Set up your kids' social media accounts yourself. Sgt. Nelson advises that parents who allow their children to use social media should be the ones to set up the accounts. "This way," he explains, "you can ensure that the right privacy settings are applied from the start." Not only can you protect their privacy, but you can also create a secure username and password for them.
Don't let your children use social media in private. Sgt. Nelson also suggests having your kids use their social media apps in shared spaces where the screen is visible, allowing you to keep an eye on their reactions to what they're encountering online.
Encourage your kids to report cyberbullying right away. If your child is being cyberbullied, tell them not to respond and to report the incident to the social media platform and notify you immediately. If your child comes to you about cyberbullying:
- Make sure to take screenshots of any bullying and note the dates and times of these incidents.
- If the bullying is happening with classmates, inform the school about the issue.
- If the bullying involves threats, explicit content, stalking, or hate crimes, contact law enforcement.
Learn to spot the signs of cyberbullying. Sgt. Nelson notes that cyberbullying goes beyond just insults or inappropriate messages. It can also include pressures to send explicit images, share passwords, or even steal money. Some signs your child may be experiencing cyberbullying include:
- A noticeable decrease in their social media or texting activity.
- They may hide their screen when you're near or appear distressed by what they're seeing.
- They might withdraw from social events they once enjoyed.
- They may delete their old social media accounts and create new ones.
