Senior Care in Holt MI
Many seniors today are embracing the world of technology in order to, among other things, communicate with family and friends. Facebook says that 64 percent of online adults aged 50 to 64 use their social media site, as do almost 50 percent of those 65 years old and up. But young or old, anyone can get hacked or scammed on social media. As you’re caregiving for an elderly loved one, keep these tips in mind for keeping them safe online.
- Exercise caution when clicking on links that come in emails from friends. These messages often aren’t really from your friends but scammers pretending to be. And clicking on the links could load spyware and other types of viruses onto your computer. If you think a message is fraudulent, use an alternate means of contacting your friend to find out if they, in fact, did send you a message. This includes invitations to join new social networks.
- Treat messages from friends on social media sites the same way. If it contains a link, don’t click on it.
- Be careful about what you post about yourself, not revealing too much personal information. One popular way that hackers break into a person’s bank or credit card accounts is by clicking on the “Forgot your password?” link, then searching for answers to your security questions, such as your birthday, mother’s maiden name, where you were born, etc. If a site allows you to make up your own questions, do so and don’t draw them from information anyone could find with a quick search for you on the Internet.
- To avoid giving away email addresses of your friends and other contacts, don’t allow social networking sites to scan your email address book.
- When visiting a social media site, type the address into the browser directly or use your own personal bookmark. Don’t enter the site through an email or other web site. It could be a fake, look-alike site that then gains access to your personal information.
- Be choosy about who you accept as a friend on a social network site. Identity thieves can create fake profiles in order to get information from you.
- Be choosy about the social networks you join. Make sure you understand their privacy policies. The site will be asking for personal information in order to join, so use the same screening criteria as if someone was asking you for your credit card info.
- Assume everything you post on a social media site is permanent. Even if you delete something in particular or your entire profile or account, information you already posted could have been copied, passed on or saved on someone else’s computer.
- Be cautious when installing extras on your site. Many social media sites allow you to download third-party applications that allow you to personalize your page. But hackers will often use these applications to steal your personal info. If you’re going to download third-party applications, get them from a reputable site that you trust.
Source: http://seniorcarecorner.com/seniors-connecting-on-social-media-tips-to-stay-safe
If you or an aging loved one are considering senior care in Holt, MI, please contact the caring staff at Seniors Helping Seniors of Lansing. Call today: 517-332-9953.