Using the Internet Safely For Seniors

Figure 9-4

The joy of a wedding or the arrival of a new grandchild may inspire

individuals to share information on wedding sites and baby registries

that they would otherwise keep private. People may post pictures, full

names, locations, dates, and a great deal more. Your daughter, for exam-

ple, may join a baby registry site. If she puts your names in the

Grandparents field and states that her parents are coming east for the

birth on such and such a date, it may put your home at risk of a bur-

glary. This kind of sharing may also help criminals identify and target

you for ID theft or financial scams.

There are four simple guidelines for safely sharing strong emotions,

from grief to joy, in any online socializing. Always do these things:

➟ Learn whether the Web site allows you to make

some (or all) information private.

➟ Review the information fields and a few sample

pages to see what material is typically displayed.To

get an idea of what does and doesn’t seem appropriate

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Part II: Using the Internet While Dodging the Risk