RCD CAP Project - 2010-2011 - Avoiding scam on social media websites

Avoiding scam on social media websites

How to avoid scams on social media websites?

There are some ways to avoid the scam on social media websites:
1. Register full name on most well-known social media website. You can use your family name and the hypen or period. If you want to know if these name are registered, check out with this website: http://knowem.com/
2. Set up the free alerts services so that you can get the email if someone uses your names. For example, Google, Yahoo, and Windows Live can have the free alerts services to let the users enter the names as search words and enable them to send an email if someone uses their names and there is a new search results.
3. Discuss with your family and friends about social media to ensure the personal information is not shared. Monitor them when it is regular time.
4. Update your computer especially antivirus, software fixes, and operation system fixes always.
5. Check the privacy settings on the social media website. Always set the “friends only” or “specific friends”.
6. Delete the messages and emails that were sent from the people you do not know.
7. Prevent enabling the geolocation services if not necessary.
8. Always sign out on social media websites.
9. Avoid sharing the personal information if not necessary.
10. Don’t enter the quiz and games that shares personal information.
11. Install the browser security plugin that can help you to check the security of website when you browse the website. If it is green, it is safe for you to browse this website. However if it is yellow and red, leave that website now. http://www.mywot.com/

If you are victim of scams, please do things below:
1. Change the password
2. Check the information you put in social media if there are loss
3. Contact the social media official website and developer and talked with them about this
4. Perform virus and Trojan scan
5. If your personal information is leaked on the Internet, call the police

Reference:
https://www.infosecisland.com/blogview/5597-10-Ways-to-Prevent-Social-Media-Scams.html
http://www.419legal.org/blog/2010/07/26/7-things-you-should-know-to-avoid-social-media-scams/