Elderly individuals usually easily buy into a few myths about online information exposure. These myths can be thought provoking, and may lead seniors to wrong beliefs and even greater risks from opportunistic individuals online.
The first myth is that, when one doesn’t use computer, he/she is simply not exposed online. The truth of the matter is, in this computer-aided world, virtually each one of us has information online placed by several resources. Just because we didn’t put any information about ourselves and personal life doesn’t mean it isn’t there.
Some examples of these information are from publicly available government records that shows your address, criminal records (even speeding and parking tickets), etc.
City homes are listed online and can be found through internet mapping services.
Also, unless you’ve been very careful to ensure that you didn’t share your phone number in any public documents, it will be posted online (though not many people can see it easily its posted for the use of government agencies).
There are simply endless ways that your name and personal information can be posted online. Chances are, you can even be “searched” online, like most of us.
The second myth is about Internet scams, and believe it or not, many people think that simply because they haven’t fallen for these scams, they can’t be fooled and fall victim of any form of internet crimes. Internet scams come in endless shapes and sizes, and if you’re not careful, you will never know what hit you. One good example is that, online criminals can dig for your online information and use it for their advantage; either steal your identity or use it in different ways to rob you, your family, or friends.
The third myth is about posting online information can be deleted. Well, you can delete those things that you posted, but once they are resourced and copied, deleting them will be simply impossible, as they’re out of your reach anymore. Thus, reduce your personal exposure by keeping the information you post about yourself at minimum.