Here's a few quick tips on keeping a safe and low profile online in order to decrease your chances of identity theft. It's all about keeping a low profile.
1. find out what's already out there by searching for your own name with services such as Google, 123people.com, PeekYou.com and Snitch.name.
I'm amazed at the information that Snitch.name covers - public photos, phone numbers, age, address, social networking information, etc. The call themselves the social white pages.
2. If you find something you don't like, then write to the site owner and ask that it be removed; contact information is available on many sites. Ask a lawyer in cases of serious breaches.
3. When creating a social media profile - Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Yelp, consider using a nick name or variation on your name, so you post isn't linked to your real name.
4. Always, always, always find out the privacy settings and policy for each site before you post photos, video or text. Items such as your Facebook profile photo are free for all to see.
5. Just like you wouldn't give a stranger a ride or eat their candy - only accept "friends" on social networking sites if you know them.
6. When dealing with a lawsuit or other public proceedings with sensitive information - you might consider having it sealed by a judge.
As always, take everything with a grain of salt and choose how you share your information and with whom carefully.
What is your public information safety threshold? How do you know when you're share too much information (online or in person)?
I'd love to hear your comments and discoveries.
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