Geotagged travel posts increase risk of cyber threats, crimes

SHARING LOCATIONS on social media platforms when traveling increases the risk of being targeted by cyber threats and real-life crimes, according to Kaspersky.

“Posting a geotag may endanger users even if they are not in this place at the moment, as it shows perpetrators that there is a place where they can easily be tracked,” Kaspersky General Manager Yeo Siang Tiong said in a statement.

Mr. Yeo also advised users to think twice when sharing on social media, noting that delayed posting is ideal.

Using information found online, users’ locations, current activities, travel histories, and interests are enough to create a detailed profile of a potential target, he said.

These can be exploited for various malicious purposes, such as phishing and identity theft, Mr. Yeo said.

Victims must “identify and stop any pending payments to the scammers and terminate any compromised credit cards to prevent additional unauthorized charges,” he said. — Aubrey Rose A. Inosante