With school starting up soon, social media is full of adorable back-to-school photos. Many like to feature a child holding a “first day of school” sign with basic information, such as their name and grade. But before you snap a picture of your little one, read these tips and be cautious about what you post.
Back-to-school photo tips
Avoid sharing personal details about your child. Photos often involve kids holding a sign with their full name, age, height, and other details. Scammers could use this information to commit identity theft and predators can use this to earn your child’s trust.
Leave off information about the school. Even sharing the name of your child’s school, teacher, or grade could make them a target. In addition, these details are often used as security questions for banking or credit card accounts.
Review your privacy settings. Check your social media account’s privacy settings regularly. Be mindful of those who can view your posts and restrict those you don’t know. You may want to remove personal information from your account that others can see, such as your telephone number or address.
Watch out for phony friend requests. Don’t accept friend requests from strangers. Also, think twice before you accept a friend request from someone you are already connected with. It could be an impostor trying to access your information and friends list.
