Social Media Safety – Facebook

With the rise of social media came the rise of private information becoming accessible to just about anyone who knows how to use the internet!

With the right safety precautions you can still enjoy Facebook and other social media networks, but always make sure to use these safety tips.

Make sure your password is secure

With all your personal information exposed on Facebook, it can be easy for someone to guess your password. A good password should have a mixture of upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters.

Don’t friend people you don’t know

If you don’t know who they are why would you become friends with them? It may seem innocent, but cybercriminals often use fake profiles to send out spam and even steal your personal info.

Protect your location

While it may seem fun to share a photo of yourself and then add your location, it has some hidden risks. Potential criminals can easily see whether you are home or not, allowing them to take advantage and break in. Another danger you could face includes stalkers!

Change who can see your personal information

Have you listed your address and phone number on Facebook? It may seem handy to do so, but you don’t want everyone seeing this information. For maximum privacy, make sure to set these to be “me only” or choose who gets to see what.

NEVER overshare

The best way to be safe? Have some common sense! Be sure that what you’re posting online will not compromise your safety. Did you know that a deleted photo will remain on the Facebook servers for months after it is gone? It is harder to retract information, so simply do not share it in the first place!

It’s better to be safe than sorry, so go ahead and use these safety tips!

Need help with your social media security? Contact our Digital Forensics department on 021 110 0422 or email contact@tcgforensics.co.za

How to spot a Social Media Scam

Social media has made it possible for people to interact with each other from all over the world – everyone knows what everyone else is doing, where they’re going on vacation, when they got married, etc.

However, social media networks have also made it possible for more users to become victims of scams. Over the last few years, social media scams have basically quadrupled with fake accounts popping up everywhere.

Don’t become the next victim of a scam – here’s how to spot, prevent and deal with social media scams:

- There is an ad or poster offering an amazing deal or job that sounds too good to be true.
- A job, prize or loan application asks you to pay upfront beforehand.
- A popular company uses a Yahoo or Gmail email account to contact you.
- You are urged to act immediately!
- They ask you to share your private information.
- You get a friend request from a “friend” but they ask you random questions or for money.

How to prevent social media scams from happening:

- Preventing social media scams is easy; all you have to do is use your common sense!
- Always think before you click on something.
- If it sounds dodgy or overly intrusive, ignore it.
- Never share your personal information on social media sites.
- Be wary when it comes to loan scams – here are the red flags to look out for.
- Never agree to pay for something upfront without being certain that it’s legitimate.
- Go through your social media privacy settings on a regular basis to ensure they haven’t changed.
- Never post any personal information about yourself that can be stolen and used to steal your identity.

If you’re a victim, here’s what to do:

- Shut down your computer and use a different device to change all your passwords immediately.
- Put out a fraud alert on your credit to stop any loans or lines of credit the scammer may try to take out.
- Call our OSINT division for professional assistance: 021 110 0422 | contact@osint.co.za
- Tell your friends so that they know about the scam and can avoid it if it pops up on their social media feeds.

Do not let the social media scammers bait and hook you – always be safe online!

Use Facebook more safely with these 5 Security Tips

Facebook is an awesome way to stay in touch with your friends and family members, however, you need to remember to always be careful about the private information your reveal because it might end up in the wrong hands!

These days a range of financial scams can be used to try and steal your money, one of them is cybercriminals making fake Facebook profiles and sending friend requests in order to gain your personal information.

This is why it is vital to be careful when you are using Facebook as well as any other social media network.

Here are 5 important Facebook security tips:

1. Always verify all Facebook contacts. Make sure that you are actually talking to the person you think you’re talking to and not a criminal trying to gain your personal information or money.

2. Protect your financial information. Never tell anyone about your private banking details such as your bank account details, credit card numbers and passwords or any other financial data on Facebook.

3. Be suspicious of strangers. Never add or accept any friend requests from people that you do not know.

4. Keep your password a secret. Always take extra care about the password you choose as it is one of the most vital parts of your Facebook security.

- Use a complicated password that is at least 12 characters and consists of upper and lower case letters, a number and special symbol.
- Remember to change your password on a regular basis.
- Never use the same passwords for all your accounts.

5. Secure all your devices. Make sure to install anti-malware software on your computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet – whatever devices you use – to ensure that everything is protected from viruses as well as any other threats.

Need assistance with your Facebook security? Have you been the victim on Facebook? Please contact our OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence) Division on 021 110 0422 or email contact@osint.co.za | www.osint.co.za