It is undeniable that social media plays a major role in our lives today. It is difficult to imagine that 15 years ago, there were no Facebook or Twitter as means to share our personal lives and opinions instantly with the public. Back then, it was next to impossible to freely connect to all parts of the world. Indeed, social media has tremendously influenced our culture, the business sector, and the world-at-large. With careful and intelligent utilization of this revolutionary invention, social media is a perfect instrument to aid us in our everyday dealings. However, such easy, casual communication in an electronic environment can also have its disadvantages.
As social networking sites urge us to be more public about our personal lives, intimate details of our lives can be posted so easily and hastily. Others may think that posting such personal matters for the public to see does not do any harm, but revealing personal information can make users vulnerable to crimes like identity theft, stalking, etc. Take in for example the case of Mark Joseph Lontok, a public school teacher in the Philippines. From a news article by Tricia Macas, Lontok is a victim of identity theft as he owes three banks a total of P800,000 for loans he had not applied for. Recollecting events that may have caused this, he apparently shared a photo of his Professional Regulatory Commission (PRC) ID on his Facebook Account. Believing this move was harmless, it came as a great shock to him as he finds out that over P9,000 have been deducted from his payroll account every month without him signing any document authorizing the bank to debit such amount. It has been found out after the investigation that the perpetrator replicated Lontok’s PRC ID and used it to apply for the said loans.
Surprisingly, culprits think outside the box when using social media for their delinquencies. In another news article I read from Maan Macapagal, a call center agent from Manila has been arrested for tricking an Australian man to giving her money by posting as another person on Facebook. The impostor, identified as Louella Tan, created a fake Facebook account using photos of a commercial model named Janka Cederstam and chatted with an Australian man online that soon became her boyfriend. The suspect eventually convinced him to send money to the Philippines. Upon investigation, Tan was able to trace Cederstam’s personal background through Facebook. As a result, Tan will face charges of estafa, violation of the e-commerce Law, and illegal use of alias.
We often overlook the fact that even though social media has transformed the way we communicate in a positive way, it also makes us susceptible to being victims of different crimes such as identity theft. Let us keep in mind to be selective on the things we post so as not to compromise our safety and always remember to think before you click!
Madel Sebastian