On the Tenth post of Christmas…………………
Online forums and social media sites are great for keeping in touch with friends and family over the Christmas holidays, but be careful about what information you put online and who you allow to see it.
Be aware that many companies check job applicant’s online profiles. You might not want the photos and information you share with your friends to be seen by a prospective employer.
Remember, people are not always who they say they are online. If you are ‘friends’ with people you don’t know personally, be especially careful about the amount of information you reveal.
Don’t trust that a message really is from whom it says it’s from. Hackers can break into accounts and send messages that look like they’re from your friends, but aren’t. If you suspect that a message is fraudulent, use an alternate method to contact your friend to find out.
Tips to help protect yourself when you use social networks –
• Customise your privacy settings to ensure your information is only viewed by people you trust
• Be wary of new profiles with limited content or grammar and spelling errors
• Don’t share personal information with someone you have never met in person.
• Don’t send money to someone you’ve never met in person no matter how much they say they love you.
• Be cautious when sharing personal pictures or videos with people you’ve never met in person. Scammers are known to blackmail their targets using compromising material.
If you have information for police, contact Policelink by providing information using the online suspicious activity form 24hrs per day at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting.
Report crime information anonymously via Crime Stoppers. Call 1800 333 000 or report online at www.crimestoppersqld.com.au.
