Not long ago ‘social networks’ were not part of our life or even part of our vocabulary. The social media revolution happened too fast, and too many people have not been able to catch up and fully understand the risks implied in participating in these. The truth is that a great majority of users do not know how to use social media safely. This changing world has brought opportunities, but also dangers.

According to private investigators at Russia PI, every day hundreds of men and women are victim to dating scams due to a relationship that started in Facebook or other social networks. And this is only one of the risks, not to mention that the same phenomenon happens in the rest of the world. Facebook alone has more than 1.5 billion users worldwide, and although we would like to think most of these users are legit, there is no doubt that the number of fake profiles used by scammers is growing.

Every week there seems to be a news headline from someone who has gotten into trouble through social media. That is why we would like to share what are some of the greatest dangers and how to avoid them.  Ignoring the risks can lead to serious problems and crimes.

Open your eyes to fake profiles

A great part of the cases that our private detectives in Russia attend are related to online relationships that have gone wrong at a certain point. Accepting a friendship invitation from a stranger is not a simple mistake. It could be very damaging! The consequences go from Russian romance scam to extortion and identity theft. A good rule is not to accept strangers as your social media friends, and if you are out there to meet new people, keep your privacy settings set not to share any personal information to these “new friends”. If you happen to develop any interest in this someone you met online, hire a background check and make sure the person you are communicating with is honest.

Public sharing could turn you viral

Turning viral is one of those things that advertisers work hardly for. Being relevant in the internet is hard to accomplish these days with so much information and companies competing for a little attention from their audience. However, going viral in social media is not always cool. How many times have you seen what was intended to be a private video of a child dancing funny, or a wedding, or how someone reacted to a situation that was totally private? Innocently sharing your private content can put you at risk in many ways. Once you have uploaded the content, you have no control over what will happen to it. Be careful with what you share!  Share less, and the safer you are.

Stay away as much as possible from games, dares and fake promotions

Computer viruses were spread in the old times with flashy signs that said you had won a prize. Today, the distribution of malware and even phishing are subtler, and a lot of this distribution happens though the most used platforms: social networks. Be skeptical every time you find a link trying to lure you into playing a new game, daring you to share a message, or promising a big prize.

Share as little as possible about your private life

We have mentioned this many times in the past. But it seems fair to continue educating people about how this behavior can be risky. Not only scammers will have access to your personal information.  Sharing too much can also affect your work relationships, business, etc.

Learning how to use social media safely can make a big difference in your overall security. Get informed and protect your privacy!  Contact us today verify anyone you’ve met online.

C. Wright
© 2016 Russia PI™

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