General
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There are things you can do to help protect your personal information and stay safe on Facebook. You can use the settings in Facebook to make your account private so that only people in your Friends list can see your profile and the comments and images you post.
Facebook privacy settings also help ensure that strangers can't find or contact you, and that they can't see your Friends list. And, if a friend tags you, which means identifies you in one of their posts, you can review it before it appears on your Facebook page, or stop it from appearing all together. Now, it's fun to share travel photos on Facebook, but that can tell others that your house is vacant. So stay safe and post your holiday snaps once you get home. You should also never share your address or other personal details, such as your phone number, email address or bank details.
Facebook is a great place to connect with family and friends online, but be careful about connecting with people you don't know in the real world. When sending Friend Requests, check that the person you are sending the request to is the person you intend to connect with. And be especially wary of Friend Requests or private messages from people you don't know. They might be scammers. Some scammers send messages with a link you can click to claim a lottery prize. Never click on these links.
Other scammers create fake Facebook profiles and pretend to be lonely, widowed, or divorced people looking for companionship. They gain your trust over time, then create a story about financial hardship and ask for money. If you receive a Friend Request or message from someone you don't know, simply ignore it or delete it. If you think you may have been scammed, report it to Scamwatch. And if you think that you've lost money, contact your bank immediately.
Remember, there are some easy ways to avoid problems on Facebook. When you take advantage of its privacy settings and are careful about the information you share, Facebook can be a safe place to connect with friends, family, and like-minded people.
Activities
1
A guided tour of Facebook
10 min
2
Facebook suggested posts and advertising
7 min
3
Facebook scams
5 min
4
Staying safer when using Facebook
5 min
5
Connecting with people and joining groups on Facebook
5 min
6
Posting for the first time on Facebook
8 min
7
Responding to posts on Facebook
7 min