Every day millions of users log on to social networking sites. In fact, if the number one social site was a country it would be one of the top ten largest in the world. Unfortunately, not everyone on these sites is there just for socializing. At any given moment there are approximately 10,000 online predators logged on. And many people, especially teenagers, are not being near as safe as they believe themselves to be. The following list of tips may help keep you and your family safe.

• Assume EVERYONE has access to your profile. Many times even went set to "private" or "friends only", users can grant access to people they don't really know. It is very easy to create fake profiles and ask to be friends, so avoid sharing information with people you do not know (which means people you already know)
• Use DISCRETION when putting pictures (or any content for that matter) on your profile. Remember once a picture is posted, it can be downloaded and reproduced at will.
• Avoid posting anything (pictures, content, quizzes, etc) that include IDENTIFYING information. Check everywhere your picture and information is posted to make sure it does not include your legal, school, work, town, or even state name. Do not post this same identifying information on your personal pages, including birthdays and especially social security numbers. Periodically search your name to see what comes up.
• Choose your User/Screen/Display Name wisely. Do not use your birthday or zip code in your name (ex: Jane052290 probably means Jane was born on April 22, 1990.)
• When using the computer in public, LOG OUT of everything you log into. Do not use the "Remember Me" option on your computer. It allows anyone after you the opportunity to log in as use.
• Think like a PREDATOR. Look through your information to determine how hard it would be for someone to find you.
• You are RESPONSIBLE for what you post. Inappropriate content, conduct, pictures etc that are posted on your page (or that you post on someone else's page) is your responsibility. Disciplinary and even legal actions can be taken.

 

The Day I Found Jane Doe...

The following is a true story and was done by the CVAC Community Educator in 2008 to determine how difficult it would be to find a teenager off information posted online.  Names and identifying information have been changed to protect the girl's identity. However, this is the process used:

I logged onto a site where people post pictures of themselves. I did a search for "(Name of Sport)".  After going through a couple of pages, I came across a girl who had several pictures of herself posted. Her screen name was (Name of Sport)41290. (I wondered if the she was born April 12, 1990).

One picture caught my eye. In it, she was wearing a sweatshirt with her school name, and first name printed across the front of it. I did a quick search of the school's name and found their website. They devoted an entire page to the sport she belonged to. Under their team picture the school had listed the first and last names alphabetically. Their was only one girl with her first name on the team and the picture matched her.

Using the school's zip code and her name I did another search of  home addresses and phone numbers and found only 25 families in that zip code with her last name. (I wonder how many I would have to call before I found her house).

I took that same zip code and name and did a search on a social networking site. She was the only one that came up. Her profile was set to public so I did not have to use my fake profile I created for this purpose. On her profile I learned the names of her friends, family, and the college she plans on attending. I learned her favorite music, places to shop, television shows etc. I also found her work information . Another search and I had her work address.

So in less than an hour, and with no special software, I learned the following:

• Her real name
• Birthday
• School
• Possible home address and phone number
• Names and information of friends/families
• Interests and past experiences
• Work name and address

How hard would it be for me to find her?

And she would never even know I was looking for her.