by Kathy Kristof
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
provided by
The whole social networking phenomenon has millions of Americans sharing their photos, favorite songs and details about their class reunions on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and dozens of similar sites. But there are a handful of personal details that you should never say if you don't want criminals — cyber or otherwise — to rob you blind, according to Beth Givens, executive director of the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse.
The folks at Insure.com also say that ill-advised Facebook postings increasingly can get your insurance cancelled or cause you to pay dramatically more for everything from auto to life insurance coverage. By now almost everybody knows that those drunken party photos could cost you a job, too.
You can certainly enjoy networking and sharing photos, but you should know that sharing some information puts you at risk. What should you never say on Facebook, Twitter or any other social networking site?
Your Birth Date and Place
Sure, you can say what day you were born, but if you provide the year and where you were born too, you've just given identity thieves a key to stealing your financial life, said Givens. A study done by Carnegie Mellon showed that a date and place of birth could be used to predict most — and sometimes all — of the numbers in your Social Security number, she said.
Vacation Plans
There may be a better way to say "Rob me, please" than posting something along the lines of: "Count-down to Maui! Two days and Ritz Carlton, here we come!" on Twitter. But it's hard to think of one. Post the photos on Facebook when you return, if you like. But don't invite criminals in by telling them specifically when you'll be gone.
Home Address
Do I have to elaborate? A study recently released by the Ponemon Institute found that users of Social Media sites were at greater risk of physical and identity theft because of the information they were sharing. Some 40% listed their home address on the sites; 65% didn't even attempt to block out strangers with privacy settings. And 60% said they weren't confident that their "friends" were really just people they know.
Confessionals
You may hate your job; lie on your taxes; or be a recreational user of illicit drugs, but this is no place to confess. Employers commonly peruse social networking sites to determine who to hire — and, sometimes, who to fire. Need proof? In just the past few weeks, an emergency dispatcher was fired in Wisconsin for revealing drug use; a waitress got canned for complaining about customers and the Pittsburgh Pirate's mascot was dumped for bashing the team on Facebook. One study done last year estimated that 8% of companies fired someone for "misuse" of social media.
Password Clues
If you've got online accounts, you've probably answered a dozen different security questions, telling your bank or brokerage firm your Mom's maiden name; the church you were married in; or the name of your favorite song. Got that same stuff on the information page of your Facebook profile? You're giving crooks an easy way to guess your passwords.
Risky Behaviors
You take your classic Camaro out for street racing, soar above the hills in a hang glider, or smoke like a chimney? Insurers are increasingly turning to the web to figure out whether their applicants and customers are putting their lives or property at risk, according to Insure.com. So far, there's no efficient way to collect the data, so cancellations and rate hikes are rare. But the technology is fast evolving, according to a paper written by Celent, a financial services research and consulting firm.
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It is time to Wake Up! You too, can join the "Global Political Awakening"! Print this page
. There you’ll find President 
—chillin’ like a villain—with a motley wrecking crew of 
operatives, Latin American drug lords and an assortment of corporate henchmen from such infamous organizations as Halliburton, DynCorp and SYColeman. Look beyond them, and you’ll discover a trail of cash that leads all the way back to Wall Street and Washington D.C.
’s (SPP) plan to merge the 
with a militarized tri-national Homeland Security force. Since it was signed into law, roughly 
— also known as “Plan Mexico,”—Calderon is obligated to put U.S. security objectives ahead of all domestic policies. Pursuant to the agreement, Mexico is required to adopt and maintain an aggressive counter-narcotic, counter-terrorism and border security strategy that adheres to a strict military model.
—for instance—owns 
, are devout globalists. They are the anti-thesis of the previous nationalist government—the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI)—that ruled Mexico for over 70 years. 
, the Sinaloa Federation, which controls more than 45% of the drug trade. In February, 
cartel members, and none have been against cartel leaders.
, “Thanks to the arduous work of the Mexican newspaper 
during his campaign, only to reverse his position the minute he took office. The same thing will happen here.
.
. They don’t want you to have a nice house on a nice street. They want to bulldoze both your properties. Then they’ll whisper in your ear,“your neighbor did it” and whisper the same thing in your neighbor’s ear. Then you’ll both be homeless, penniless and fighting in the street until a police car rolls up and takes you away.
comes to town, they set up shop just like Wal-Mart: a giant alien spacecraft that lands in the center of town. They say they come in peace as they pull out their ray guns. Moments later—three family grocers, two pharmacies, a tire shop, a photo mat and an appliance center are all vaporized. And instead of storming the behemoth—the locals flock to it, become its slave and wonder how they ever lived without it.
