As the new academic year commences, law enforcement officials have issued a stern warning to parents about oversharing their children's information on social media platforms.
Ross Township police deputy chief, Brian Kohlhepp, expressed his concerns to WTAE-TV about the potential misuse of such information by malicious individuals.
"Everyone loves to get on Facebook and put these back-to-school pictures," Kohlhepp stated. However, he cautioned, "the more information they put out there, the more information they are releasing to people who might be using this for nefarious purposes."
The deputy chief highlighted the potential risks associated with posting seemingly innocent photos of children holding signs filled with personal details. "Whats super popular right now is there is a picture of a kid sitting on the front porch holding a sign, and that sign is just full of information," he said. The signs often contain the child's full name, birthday, school, teacher's name, and grade, which could be exploited by predators and identity thieves.
Online predators, according to law enforcement, are constantly on the lookout for such information to groom their next victims. However, the threat extends beyond predators to identity thieves who can use this personal information to open credit accounts fraudulently.
"Birth dates are really dangerous on the identity theft side," Kohlhepp warned. "The more information like that they have on your child, the more they have to use to take over their identity and open accounts and credit cards in your child's name and run those accounts up before you even realize those accounts are open."
In light of these potential threats, Kohlhepp advised parents to adjust their privacy settings when posting photos of their children online to ensure locations are hidden. Other experts echoed his sentiments, warning against posting photos that reveal the child's school and other personal information. This cautionary advice underscores the need for parents to be vigilant about their children's online presence as they celebrate the return to school.
Login