The society that we live in today is so much further advanced in technology than five or even just two years ago. It seems as though we are growing at the speed of light and every time you turn around there is a new social media platform being introduced. It is now easier than ever for you to stay connected with family and friends with social media.
Social media is also used by consumers to check out reviews of new businesses, employers to check out potential new hires and criminals who are using it to track potential targets. Today we are going to look at some of the ways that you can perform social media due diligence to help you get the information you need and also protect yourself from possibly becoming a victim of a crime.
The Dating Scene
People everywhere are looking for their new love interest and there are tons of websites that promise you the connection of a lifetime with a new relationship. It’s easier than ever to join these sites and you can quickly add a photo of yourself and an introduction or bio of who you are and what you are looking for. However, you really don’t know if you are getting a real person or a real background of who they are.
One way you do your social media due diligence is by taking that person’s name and look them up on different social media websites to see if they are portraying themselves honestly and truthfully. Look at their different profiles and see if they match or if they all have the same basic information. You can also look through some of their posts and other people’s comments to see if they are saying anything bad or anything negative about that person.
A New Job
Often times when you go on a job interview your potential employers will ask you if you are on social media. They want this information because they want to take a look at some of the things you post and they want to get a better understanding of the person you are when you aren’t at work. This is why it’s important for you to think about what you are actually putting on your social media accounts because it could potentially prevent you from getting a job in the future.
Business Reviews
This has become a big thing in social media. Just stop and think about how many times you have gone to a new restaurant or bar and posted on social media on how your experience was there. Believe it or not, this can make or break businesses because everyone goes to social media to look at different hot spots reviews before they go to them. Businesses also use social media to their advantage by advertising their services on them. The traditional way of doing business has all been altered with the boom and popularity of the different social media platforms.
Don’t Make Yourself a Victim
With all the good that comes from social media, there are always going to be those select few people who will use to commit crimes. A lot of the social media apps and platforms are monitored by criminals so that they can use it to their advantage.
For example, if you post on your social media account that you bought this really nice Rolex then you are setting yourself up to potentially being robbed. There are also options on the apps that will allow you to give your location so if you enable that option you are now letting the criminals know exactly when you will be home and when you are going to be away from your home.
