Gift Focus - Jul/Aug 2019 (Issue 114)

135 BUSINESS ADVICE Social media safety Neil McFarlane, chartered insurance broker and CEO of TH March, unveils how sharing a holiday selfie could open the door to criminals While social media can be a valuable tool for entertainment and communication, it can also open the door to crime. When you share pictures of your location or possessions on social media, you enable criminals to target you for criminal behaviour. None of your social media posts are ever truly private, and can you really trust all of your “friends” on social media networks? With that in mind, follow these tips to stay safe while enjoying social media: 1. Monitor what you share. A simple selfie can give away more information than you think. Wearing a certain logo or revealing certain landmarks in a picture can clue a criminal into your location. Don’t forget that considerations like age and gender must be protected too. Remember to only add people on social media you know and trust. 2. Turn off geolocation settings. Every smartphone has location settings imbedded. If you don’t turn these settings off, apps can then use your location data for their benefit. When you post from a certain location, not only does the app know where you are, but it often shares your location as well. Protect yourself by denying apps from using your location for their advantage. 3. Understand that nothing on social media is private. If you wouldn’t share something in person, don’t share it on social media. Be especially cautious of posts that are public, such as on Twitter. Anyone can find you through a hashtag and then discover your profile in an instant. Always err on the side of caution and privacy when posting. FURTHER INFORMATION TH March is a chartered firm of insurance brokers. Established in 1887, the company has offices in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Glasgow and Sevenoaks, as well as its National Administration Centre in Yelverton near Plymouth. To find out more, call +44 (0)1822 855 555 , email giftware@thmarch.co.uk or visit thmarch.co.uk