By Kim Komando The Kim Komando Show Published November 27, 2024 5:27pm EST close People have an expectation of privacy in their online behavior: Matthew Bilinsky Prevailing Narrative podcast host Matthew Bilinsky discusses the federal law enforcement request for Google to hand over YouTube data on certain users on Fox News @ Night. Too many people share just about everything online. Thats a one-way ticket to Scamtown. Some info makes you an especially prime target. Keep these close to the vest.Im giving away aniPhone 16 Pro with Apple Intelligence. No purchase necessary; enter now!1. Your relationship statusWidows and widowers are big targets. Crooks want to get their grimy hands on inheritance money. TakeRosalie Douglass, who tried her hand at online dating and listed "widow" as her relationship status. Two different scammers connected with Rosalie and swindled her out of a staggering $430,000.HOW TO (KINDLY) ASK PEOPLE NOT TO POST YOUR KIDS' PHOTOS ON SOCIAL MEDIAPro tip: If you're a widow or widower, keep it off your dating and social media apps. You never know who's watching.2. Your vacation plansTiffany posted about her familys upcoming Carnival cruise on Facebook by sharing shots of her tickets. She didnt think about the fact her booking reference number was included. The same day, a scammer created a new Carnival account using Tiffany's confirmation number. The scammer canceled her booking and ruined her $15,000 trip. Widows and widowers are big targets for scammers. (Reuters)Pro tip: Announcing your vacation plans before or during your trip screams "Rob me!" Take tons of pics on your vacation, but don't share them until you're home.3. Videos of you talkingArtificial intelligence tools make it cheap and easy for anyone to create a deepfake video. Recently, on TikTok,a woman named Sam said a shady brand stole her face and used it to promote a product. The brand did it all with a video from her social media account and some deepfake software.BIOMETRIC DATA: IS IT SAFE TO HAND IT OVER TO ANY COMPANY THAT ASKS?Pro tip: Limit the personal information you share online, especially high-quality photos and videos of you talking. For most folks, setting your social media accounts to "private" is the way to go.4. Expensive electronics youre sellingASouth Carolina man listed a limited-edition PlayStation on a Facebook buy-sell-trade group. The "buyer" he met up with pulled out a gun and made off with the PlayStation, plus the mans phone, wallet and watch. Scary. Watch out for scammers on Facebook. (AP Photo/Patrick Sison, File)Pro tip: If youre selling anything pricey, meet in a public space during the day and bring a friend. Your local police departments parking lot should scare off anyone who intends to rob you.5. Personal walking, hiking and biking routesFitness apps with GPS track way more than workouts. I told you about the Secret Service agents who spilled the locations of President Biden and the first lady, President-elect Trump and his wife and Vice President Harris. In case you missed it, the agents used Strava to track their movement and apparently didnt realize anyone could see those routes.HOSPITALS FACING UNPRECEDENTED THREATS; YOU MUST SECURE YOUR HEALTH RECORDS TODAYPro tip: If you use a fitness app, change your settings to private. You can disable GPS altogether, but that shuts off the functionality you use the app for in the first place.6. Your kids' school or activitiesYoure proud of your kiddos and want to share their milestones online. Sorry, but posting photos in front of your kids school or sharing their weekly soccer schedule is not smart. You truly never know who is watching. Fitness apps with GPS track more than workouts. (iStock)Pro tip:Dont post specifics about your kids schools, day care centers, sports teams or even the clubs they attend. When you do share, keep it vague and avoid anything identifiable in the background.7. Your work detailsThe real danger here is setting yourself up for a scam. Spear-phishing scams target one person with highly personalized information. Mid- and high-level employees are big targets since they may have access to a companys finances.The more specific details you post, the more fuel you give a scammer. This includes where you work, your role, projects youre working on or really anything else.Pro tip:Limit the details you share about your job. Keep posts about career achievements vague or share only with friends and family.Get tech-smarter on your scheduleAward-winning host Kim Komando is your secret weapon for navigating tech.National radio:Airing on 500-plus stations across the U.S. find yours or get the free podcast.Daily newsletter:Join 509,000 people who read the Current (free!)Watch: OnKims YouTube channelPodcast: "Kim Komando Today."Copyright 2025, WestStar Multimedia Entertainment. All rights reserved.