In an era that is characterised by speed and ruled by technology, social media has become integral to our personal lives and a part of everyday life for many people. With the growing use of platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and TikTok, etc., social media has been used extensively to maintain relationships and social interactions with family and friends, link and interact with other users, search for work and business opportunities, and share or obtain information on everything, including current affairs and news, etc.

Despite the many benefits to be derived, and positive effects that can be experienced with social media, it is beset with risks that could profoundly affect individuals, whether on a personal or professional level, often leaving individuals exposed to fraud-related risks, with privacy-related concerns being at the forefront given data breaches and other information scandals that are often reported in the news.

These risks are often overlooked, and we are lulled into a false sense of security regarding our social media use, voluntarily sharing information regarding ourselves and our loved ones through our posts and online profiles, oblivious to the body of information, i.e., our digital footprint, that we leave behind with our use of social media accounts. This notwithstanding information on social media has also often been used as the main source to target victims and commit identity theft against individuals, assume their identities and perpetrate fraud in the victim's name. This is often accomplished using social engineering tactics such as phishing scams on social media platforms in the form of fraudulent messages or communications intended to trick, deceive or manipulate victims and/or their contacts, defrauding them in the process.

Best practice guidelines on Social Media use

Here are some issues to consider and protect oneself from getting entangled in the risks associated with social media platforms:

• Be aware of these risks before engaging on social media and always exercise restraint with sensitive and personal information that you post.
• Constantly remain vigilant as there are various fraudulent or false social media accounts that exist solely to misrepresent, cause embarrassment, create legal or personal issues for a user, or to commit fraud.
• For your safety, refrain from posting sensitive employment/work-related information and details on sites that allow such, for example, LinkedIn, as this information could be used for nefarious purposes. This includes information regarding current or past jobs.
• Always ensure that you verify who you're connecting with and only extend or accept invites on social media sites from people (or entities) you know and trust. Verify the authenticity of an account if uncertain.
• Exercise extreme caution with all forms of unsolicited communications. Follow your instincts and better judgment and take a moment to reflect on why you are being contacted and through which sources.
• Use strong privacy settings for your social media profiles and ensure that you know what you are signing up for before accepting the terms and conditions of use and by reading their data policies, etc.
• Never overshare personal and other information on social media that could expose you to security risks/physical attacks either at home or while travelling, for example, information relating to your physical or other addresses, check-in locations, etc.

Following these guidelines will make social media a much safer place. But you can arm yourself even further by reading about how to protect yourself against social media scammers, and if you're a seller or buyer on Facebook, here's how you can avoid fraudsters on Facebook Marketplace. 

For a wider range of articles to broaden your knowledge of the dangers prevalent online, check out our digital fraud overview.