Protecting Social Media Accounts From Theft

Social media permeates our private lives with little notice, opening our worlds to friends, relatives, and strangers. When diligent practices to protect your social media accounts are still not enough to safeguard against online threats, unsuspecting individuals are often faced with identity theft.

Working with experienced credit card litigation attorneys in Florida at Sharmin & Sharmin P.A. can be the first step to financial stability when identity theft impacts your credit rating. Below, we share crucial tips on protecting your social media accounts from theft and against the impacts of online scammers.

The Pitfalls of Social Media Accounts 

Even basic information and pictures are targets for online scammers looking to create fake profiles and clone your account. With your personal information, creating a social media account that appears to belong to you is simple. Fake profiles are then bait for unsuspecting friends, family, and acquaintances to obtain money. Using an account that appears to belong to you, scammers may request help with bill payments, fake charity donations, gift cards, and cash.

Just as damaging is having your account used maliciously to post inappropriate messages or images and even to promote hate crimes. These attacks can devastate professional careers, destroying years of dedication and hard work. The reputational impact can linger indefinitely. Online scammers may also target you through common internet fraud scams in Florida posted on social media sites. 

Our Florida Identity Theft Attorneys are Here to Help

Protecting your online information is critical to your financial well-being. Taking these proactive steps offers better online protection from identity theft. A Florida identity theft lawyer with our firm can review your legal options for protecting your credit.

Use Strong Passwords

Passwords should contain a combination of at least 15 characters. Activating two-step verification also enables notifications if someone attempts to log into your account. It is also beneficial to periodically create new complex passwords.

Be Selective With Friend Requests

Know the people you accept or send friend requests. Never click on links from people you do not know. It is also possible that a hacker has accessed a friend’s account. Clicking what appears to be a safe link can lead to malware downloads.

Maintain Privacy

Adjusting all your settings to the most private options is a great start. Even with your settings set to safeguard your information, it is still essential not to share personal or confidential information online. Even sharing sensitive information through private messages on social media is never recommended.

Review Your Credit Reports

Finding new accounts opened in your name or credit checks, you did not request should prompt a further investigation into possible identity theft. Discovering that your identity has been stolen may not occur until significant damage to your credit score occurs. You can access free credit reports annually. Our firm can help you notify consumer reporting agencies and file a claim when these agencies fail to address the mistakes on your report.

Is Your Social Media Account Putting You at Risk of Identity Theft? 

Failing to protect your social media accounts against theft opens you up to cyber hackers worldwide, even if you never leave Florida. Schedule a free consultation with Sharmin & Sharmin P.A. to discuss identity theft and credit report errors resulting from a breached or cloned social media account. Put our trial and litigation experience to work for you.