YourNNY Your Source for News & Sports in Northern New York

BRIAN ROCHE EXPLAINS. THOSE PICTURES OF THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL ARE FULL OF HOPE AND OPTIMISM. THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR. BUT THE BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU SAYS THOSE PICTURES OF CHILDREN MAY CONTAIN INFORMATION THAT CAN BE USED. YOU AND YOUR FAMILY. THE BEEB HAS THESE BACK TO SCHOOL PHOTO TIPS. AVOID SHARING PERSONAL DETAILS ABOUT YOUR CHILD BACK TO SCHOOL PHOTOS. FOR EXAMPLE OFTEN INVOLVE KIDS HOLDING A BOARD WITH FULL NAME AGE HEIGHT OTHER DETAILS. SCAMMERS ARE PREDATORS COULD USE THAT INFORMATION TO COMMIT IDENTITY THEFT OR YOUR CHILD’S TRUST? LEAVE OFF INFORMATION ABOUT KIDS SCHOOLS EVEN SHARING NAMES OF YOUR CHILD’S SCHOOL TEACHER. GRADE LEVEL COULD MAKE THEM A TARGET. UNSCRUPULOUS PEOPLE. THESE ARE OFTEN USED AS SECURITY QUESTIONS FOR BANKING OR CREDIT CARD ACCOUNTS. DOUBLE CHECK YOUR PRIVACY SETTINGS. REVIEW YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS. PRIVACY SETTINGS ON A REGULAR BASIS. YOU MAY WANT TO REMOVE PERSONAL INFORMATION FROM THAT ACCOUNT THAT OTHERS CAN SEE, LIKE YOUR TELEPHONE NUMBER OR YOUR ADDRESS. AND FINALLY, WATCH OUT. PHONY FRIEND REQUESTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND DON’T ACCEPT FRIEND REQUESTS FROM STRANGERS. A BRIAN ROCH

Back-to-school photos may contain information scammers are looking for

With the school year starting again, social media is full of back-to-school photos. These pictures often feature a child holding a “first day of school” sign with basic information, such as their name. That information can be used by scammers.The Better Business Bureau has these back-to-school photo tips for parents: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. Scammers or predators could use this information to commit identity theft or earn your child’s trust.Don’t include information about kids’ schools. Even sharing the name of your child’s school or teacher could make them a target for unscrupulous people. These details are often used as security questions for banking or credit card accounts.Review your social media account’s privacy settings regularly. You may want to remove personal information from your account that others can see, like your telephone number or address.Watch out for phony friend requests, and don’t accept friend requests from strangers.Watch the video above for the full story.

With the school year starting again, social media is full of back-to-school photos.

These pictures often feature a child holding a “first day of school” sign with basic information, such as their name. That information can be used by scammers.

The Better Business Bureau has these back-to-school photo tips for parents:

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. Scammers or predators could use this information to commit identity theft or earn your child’s trust.
Don’t include information about kids’ schools. Even sharing the name of your child’s school or teacher could make them a target for unscrupulous people. These details are often used as security questions for banking or credit card accounts.
Review your social media account’s privacy settings regularly. You may want to remove personal information from your account that others can see, like your telephone number or address.
Watch out for phony friend requests, and don’t accept friend requests from strangers.

Watch the video above for the full story.