As you scroll through Facebook, you’re probably seeing posts from your friends about their kids going back to school. Many of those posts contain pictures of kids holding signs that detail the child’s name, grade, teacher, favorite color, and even what they want to be when they grow up. Law enforcement is now warning that those details might seem innocent, but together they can give someone with bad intentions far more information than they should have. They aren’t suggesting that parents skip back-to-school photos, but recommend that identifying details be left off the signs. Sharing birth dates, full names, and grades gives criminals data they can use to open fraudulent credit histories in a child's name before they grow up. Signs with a child’s "favorites" or hobbies allow a stranger or predator to fake a connection and build false trust, and background details like house numbers, street signs, school uniforms, or bus numbers reveal where your family lives and where your kids go. Lock down privacy settings or text the photo directly to a closed group of close family and friends.
