Privacy on Social Media Guards Against Identity Theft

Social media privacy protects against identity theft.

By withholding private information that scammers could use to steal your identity, you can protect your social media posts.

• The prevalence of social media identity theft is rising as we incorporate social networks into our daily lives.
• Simple errors could expose your personal data, giving con artists the opportunity to steal your identity, use your Social Security number, or ruin your credit.
• By adjusting your privacy settings, hiding your current location, and using strong passwords, you can reduce the risk of social media identity theft.

Social media is, by definition, all about exchanging information, including images, articles, and private thoughts. However, it might not be the best idea to reveal your identity and private information on social media. Identity theft on social media is on the rise, and whether or not we become victims depends on what we share and how we manage our social accounts. 

We’ll discuss the best practices for social media privacy protection, the dangers of identity theft, and scams to be aware of.

How to keep your information private on social media

According to the Javelin Strategy & Research 2022 Identity Fraud Report, nearly 42 million Americans have fallen victim to traditional identity fraud or identity fraud scams, resulting in combined losses of almost $52 billion. There is a wealth of information on social media that fraudsters can seize and use against you in a variety of fraud schemes, such as identity theft, ransomware attacks, and data breaches.

What dangers do identity theft poses?

Large swaths of the American population are affected by these multibillion dollar scams that involve identity theft and fraud. Identity theft can affect individuals and businesses in the following ways:

• Finances may be impacted by identity theft. Financial consequences of identity theft scams are the most obvious.  Depending on how serious the scam is, the perpetrators might steal money from victims’ bank accounts, seize control of their retirement or investment accounts, or even take over their mortgage. Cases of ID theft may require legal assistance, which will increase the cost.
• Your career could be damaged by identity theft. Scammers who steal your identity may have taken actions that show up on background checks and may have an impact on job opportunities.
• Your reputation may be harmed by identity theft. If scammers take over your social media accounts, it could harm your online reputation. In the worst-case scenarios, scammers could take control of a social media account and pretend to be the account holder while using the account to spread malware, send phishing emails, or launch additional attacks on other targets. This is particularly harmful if you use social media for business.
• Account bans can result from identity theft. Social media platforms may ban your accounts if identity thieves use them for illegal purposes. Years of work spent developing a social media following could be lost.

Identity theft is a growing business

For criminals, identity theft and related con games represent a growing market. Sadly, social media and the increased accessibility of personal information have increased the frequency and simplicity of these scams. Being completely cut off from social media is drastic and difficult. Thankfully, there are methods for using these platforms while minimizing the risks of identity theft. To lessen your chance of becoming a victim of identity theft, use social media privacy best practices and keep a healthy dose of skepticism.