Imagine, after going on a beach vacation and posting photos about it on social media, someone tells you your pictures ended up on an escort site. This is what happened to Miss Universe Guam, a client of ours who recently discovered that her modeling photos were exploited on an escort site. This stands out as a gross violation of her privacy, but a cursory glance at social media reveals that she’s not alone.
In less than an hour, FaceChex, which specializes in identity theft protection, was able to find over 50 fake profiles misusing photos of other Miss Universe contestants, pretending to be them. This includes the president of Miss Universe, Paula Shugart, who had two fake profiles. These fake profiles not only create confusion but are a serious form of online identity theft.
With so many people trying to steal identities online, it may seem impossible to stop them. Here are five safety tips to protect yourself and those in your online social circles.
1) Vet your social circle
2) Do not give out personal information
3) Improve and Don't reuse passwords
4) Update your privacy settings
5) Understand the agreements you enter online
