Think Before You Share: Protect Yourself from Scammers, not just on Social Media, but EVERYWHERE

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Sharing things about our lives on social media has become second nature. But remember: Even the smallest pieces of information that we share, such as our phone number, can make us vulnerable to scammers. When we were kids, our parents taught us to never talk to strangers. Ignore them, and they will go away. And keep in mind, scammers are strangers. At SurfSideSafe, we are committed to protecting our users, but your safety begins with understanding the risks of what you share online.

All a scammer needs is 4 pieces of information:

An active phone number

Your phone number

Your name

The city where you live

Once the scammer gets this information, he can cause you considerable damage.

How it All Starts

Every time you share something, whether on your laptop, smartphone or tablet, you are giving a possible scammer something known as a data point.

The more you share, the more data points you give a would be scammer. As more data points are collected, the scammer saves them in a file that has been created for his or her next target victim.

Data points are like pieces to a puzzle. When enough pieces are collected, the scammer will do something, like:

Let's use a very common example. Suppose you are suddenly a potential target for a scammer.

For this example, we will use your smart phone. You get a text message from a number you don't recognize, which says something like one of the following:

Hello, how have you been? I haven't talked to you in a while.

OR:

I'm still waiting for you to get back with me and give me an answer.

OR: It can say just about anything that will get your curiosity going, and at the same time, make no sense.

But notice that no names were used -- meaning, your name or the other person. Someone either found your phone number at random, or, just made up a phone number.

DO NOT REPLY! DELETE THE TEXT MESSAGE IMMEDIATELY!

If you do not reply, the scammer will go away. However even the simplest reply, such as, "I don't know you!", will give the scammer the first data point. The scammer now knows that your number is an active number, and you will start being tracked.

Now, let's see what a scammer will do with that very small piece of evidence.

How Scammers GET the 4 Pieces if Information

Even with something as simple as, knowing your number is an active number, a scanner can build a profile about you. Here is how the scammer does it, and it gets worse as it progresses.

This is the first data point. The scammer has an ACTIVE phone number.

The scammer might run a Google search on the area code. For example, if your area code is "617", a scanner will search What is area code 617 in USA, and immediately, he will learn that you live in the Boston, Massachusetts area. This is the second data point.

Next, the scammer will enter your number in a reverse phone lookup. They are all over the internet. And now, the scammer has a third and fourth data point -- Your name, and verification that it is YOUR phone number.

Now, the scammer has the 4 pieces of information shown above. Let's see what this means.

How Scammers USE the 4 Pieces if Information

The scammer now has enough information to track you. You can bet, he or she will stalk you all over the internet, especially, on every social media website.

If you have someone's name, and the city where they live, it's very easy to find them on social media -- especially on Facebook. For example, if your name is Pepe Sylvia, and you live in Nashville, Tennessee, all the scammer has to do on the social media website is search People named Pepe Sylvia from Nashville, Tennessee.

NOT AT SURFSIDESAFE!

We don't ask for the place where you live, and we never will. We give users the option of sharing this information in the "about" section, only if the user wants to, but we do not encourage it.

On many social media sites, a list of people by the name of Pepe Sylvia will be shown, and the scammer will find the target.

Pepe Sylvia is not a very common name. However, some common names will produce more results, but this plays right in the scammer's hand -- More victims to exploit.

Now that the scammer has found Pepe, he will target in on him. By studying his profile, the scammer will learn everything about him.

Is Pepe a pet lover? His favorite pet's name might be the answer to a security question. That's data point number 5.

Did Pepe create a birthday celebration post? Now the scammer has his birthday, and that's data point number 6.

Did Pepe like any movies or music lately? If so, that's data points numbers 7 and 8.

A vacation photo lets the scammer know his home might be empty -- which adds to the scammer's file on Pepe -- data point number 9.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. It goes on and on. The scammer has only one thing in mind - Stealing everything Pepe owns.

Each piece of data Pepe shared can become a piece of the puzzle that scammers use to create a portfolio about him. This portfolio can lead to identity theft, fraud, or even blackmail.

How SurfSideSafe Keeps You Safe

At SurfSideSafe, we prioritize your privacy. When you create an account, we only ask for the basics:

The only reason we ask for your birthday is because in the near future, we will be sending digital birthday cards to users having a birthday. These will be sent by private messages, and will be between the user and SurfSideSafe.

We don't sell or share your data with anyone. Even though you have the freedom to add details to your profile, it's completely optional. We don't recommend your doing this, but it's there, just in case you want to. We encourage you to be mindful of what you share.

Simple Steps to Stay Safe on SurfSideSafe

Here are a few tips to protect yourself:

Be Aware, Stay Secure.

We want SurfSideSafe to be a place where you feel comfortable sharing and connecting, but we also want you to be informed. Scammers are crafty, but by taking precautions, you can protect yourself from becoming a target.

Your online safety is our priority. Let's work together to create a community where everyone can feel secure.

Remember: The simplest details can have the biggest consequences. Think before you share, and stay safe on SurfSideSafe.

AND also, Remember something else:

At SurfSideSafe, we are here to make your life much better.

Disclaimer: The name, Pepe Sylvia, as used in this article is a ficticious name. When creating this article, a Google search, a good name to use as an example, was run, and this was one of the names that was displayed.

Also, the author of this article is not a scammer. On the contrary, he has been approached many times by scammers, and works very hard to stop them in their tracks. Also, there is an excellent YouTube channel by the name of Scammer Revolts. The owner of this channel works to put scammers out of business on a daily basis. It is worth checking out, and I believe you will enjoy it.