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With the school year starting again, social media is full of adorable back-to-school photos. Often, these pictures feature a child holding a “first day of school” sign with basic information, such as their name and grade. But before you jump on the trend and snap a similar picture of your little one, read these tips and be cautious about what you share.
Back-to-school photo tips
- Avoid sharing personal details about your child. Back-to-school photos often involve kids holding a board with their full name, age, height, and other details or even a photo of your child wearing a uniform. Scammers or predators could use this information to commit identity theft or earn your child’s trust.
- Leave off information about kids' schools. Even sharing the name of your child’s school, teacher, or grade level could make them a target for unscrupulous people. Not to mention, these details are often used as security questions for banking or credit card accounts.
- Choose generic backgrounds for your photos. Be mindful of any house numbers, street signs, or other identifiable locations in the background of your photos. Make sure no school signs, bus stops, or other landmarks are visible that could reveal your child's location.
- Double check your privacy settings. Review your social media account’s privacy settings regularly. Be mindful of whom can view your posts. You may want to remove personal information from your account that others can see, such as your telephone number or address.
- Watch out for phony friend requests. Don’t accept friend requests from strangers. Also, think twice before you accept a friend request from someone you are already connected with. It could be an impostor trying to access your information and friends list.
More back-to-school tips from BBB.
For more information
See BBB’s article on sharing senior photos on Facebook and scam alert about Facebook quizzes.
Check out BBB's new page dedicated to scams on social media.
For more tips for staying safe online, read BBB’s tips on staying cyber secure.