Is it me or or a lot of folks’ Facebook filled with back-to-school pictures lately. You know the ones where the kid holds up a sign sharing info on what grade they are going into, maybe what teacher, etc. But while they may look innocent and cute, some safety and law enforcement experts are warning of the dangers of this back-to-school trend.
McHenry County Sheriff’s Office in Woodstock, Illinois recently called out the back-to-school trend, with an image of Deputy Sherriff Tim Creighton revealing what parents should and shouldn’t do. In one photo he’s holding a “My first day of school poster,” with info like name, age, grade and teacher filled out, with another next to it with all the info that’s unsafe blurred out.
The post warns parents never to share info that’s too personal like:
- School name
- Age
- Teacher's name and grade
- Identifying features (height, weight, etc.)
- Overly personal information (think items related to passwords or security question answers, etc.)
They warn, “This information…can all be used by predators, scammers, and other people looking to endanger your child, family, or finances," adding, "No matter your privacy settings or friends list, its best to keep personal information on the internet to the bare minimum."
The post has since been shared almost 69,000 times, and many experts agree with the warning.
- "Parents and grandparents are proud and excited and exuberant and are their kids and grandkids best cheerleaders,”Donna Rice Hughes, president & CEO of Enough Is Enough, tells Fox News. “Sometimes they can, in that exuberance, share too much information online," noting, parents should "not think as parents, but as predators,” explaining, “[Think], ‘how would a dangerous predator be able to use this information to gain access to my child or my grandchild?’"
Source:Fox News
Photo: Getty Images