Beware of the security risks of social media

Social media can be a powerful way to connect with others, but it could also open your life to security risks.

Depending on your privacy settings and what you post online, you could even be sharing information that leaves your home vulnerable to break-ins.

Recently, burglars have been known to track their victims’ social media accounts to monitor when they are away from home and use that time to commit their crimes.

The Better Business Bureau of Greater Houston and South Texas offers the following tips for protecting yourself and your home:

Check your privacy settings. Read the privacy policies and learn the privacy settings on your preferred social networks to best protect your personal data and content. Set your photos to the highest privacy settings where possible.

Although photos posted online can live for eternity, limiting the audience to which they’re shared severely minimizes the possibility of them falling into the wrong hands.

Also, be careful when posting photos of your home, including interior or exterior shots, as it could expose you to security risks.

Avoid location sharing. People often post on social media when they are traveling, such as, “At the airport. Can’t wait to get this weeklong vacation started!” Posts like this make it easy for thieves to identify where you are and how long you will be gone.

While you may want to capture how much fun you are having on vacation, it is best to wait until you return home to share the experience on social media.

Even when running errands or going out locally, avoid tagging your location on social media apps and consider disabling location services entirely.

Keep personal information to yourself. It probably goes without saying that you should not post your Social Security number or financial information online.

You should also avoid sharing your phone number, email address, and home address.

It is common to share your birthday and the town you grew up in on Facebook, but that information can be used to access financial accounts or create new ones in your name.

Also, be cautious when sharing information about your daily routine as well, such as when you leave for work and when you come home, as that information could be used by burglars, too.

Investigate every friend request. It may seem obvious to deny friend requests from unknown individuals but just because a request comes from a recognized name and image doesn’t necessarily mean it is trustworthy. Some crooks have been known to create fake social media accounts using other people’s names, pictures and even some identifying information to access a bigger network of people and evading privacy settings.

Ensure the account belongs to the person they claim to be.

Regulate tagged or shared posts. You may scrutinize your online presence and ensure that your privacy settings are as strong as possible, but your friends may not.

Make sure that posts shared by friends live up to your standards. You can also simply ask friends to untag you in any unwelcome posts.

The Better Business Bureau is an unbiased nonprofit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Visit www.bbbhouston.org or call 713-868-9500. Leah Napoliello is senior director of Investigative Services with the BBB of Greater Houston and South Texas. Send questions to Leah Napoliello, Better Business Bureau, 1333 West Loop South, Suite 1200, Houston, TX 77027, or e-mail lnapoliello@bbbhou.org. Include your mailing address and phone number.