We share a lot online - holidays, birthdays, family milestones, even what we had for lunch. But every post tells a story about who we are, where we are, and what we value.
Scammers and cybercriminals can use those small pieces of information to build a complete picture of your life, sometimes enough to impersonate you, reset your passwords, or gain access to your financial accounts.
Before you hit “Post” or “Share”, take a moment to think about who might be watching.
What is social media?
Social media refers to any online platform where users create, share, and connect with others. Common examples include Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok, Snapchat, X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn.
These platforms often involve sharing personal information, through comments, messages, photos, and videos, which can sometimes reveal more than you intend.
What happens to the information you share?
When your social media posts are public, anyone can see them. Even if you use privacy settings, you can’t always control how your content is shared or stored. For example:
- Friends may re-share your post to a wider audience.
- Old versions of content can remain online even after deletion.
- Comments you leave, screenshots taken by others, and archives can make information permanent.
To reduce risk, always review your privacy settings and read each platform’s privacy policy carefully. Choose settings that give you the most control over your information.
Why oversharing on social media can be risky, and how it happens
Social media makes it easy to share moments with friends and family, but sometimes, we share more than we realise. Even small details can help scammers or criminals piece together your personal information.
By posting personal details, you might be revealing information that can be used to target you. For example:
- Personal details and identifiers - Social media posts can unintentionally reveal private information such as your birthdate, address, phone number, or licence plate, sometimes through school uniforms, street signs, mail, or work IDs visible in the background. Even simple posts about your life, such as your birthday, where you went to school/work, or the name of your first pet, can help criminals guess your passwords or answer your security questions. These small clues, easily gathered from social media, can give scammers the information they need to impersonate you or access your accounts. Indications of change in relationship status can also draw unwanted attention.
- Travel updates - Posting photos while you’re away can alert criminals that your home is empty.
- Hobbies and valuable possessions – Showcasing jewellery, electronics, collectibles and other high value items may attract unnecessary attention.
- Family details - Tagging and sharing photos or information about family members could expose their identities, locations, or potentially make them targets.
Even with strong privacy settings, posts can still spread beyond your control.
These small details may seem harmless, but together they can paint a clear picture for scammers, putting your privacy and security at risk.
The consequences of oversharing
Once your information is out there, it can be difficult to control how it’s used. Accepting connection requests from people you don’t know, or sharing personal details publicly, can make you a target for:
- Identity theft - Criminals can use your personal details to impersonate you or open fraudulent accounts.
- Phishing or malware attacks - Links sent through compromised accounts or fake profiles can infect your devices or steal data.
- Burglary, robbery, or physical harm - Publicly sharing your location or possessions can attract real-world risks.
- Business data breaches - Oversharing can make businesses and individuals vulnerable to cyberattacks, as criminals may use shared information to craft phishing scams or gain access to systems. Just like data breaches or ransomware, this can lead to stolen information, financial loss, and serious damage to reputation.
- Misuse of your photos or information - Images and personal details can be copied, edited, or reposted without consent.
- Putting your friends, family, or colleagues at risk - Oversharing about others can expose their privacy or safety too.
How to share safely
You don’t need to disappear from social media, just share smart:
- Post travel photos after you return home.
- Check privacy settings regularly to control who sees your posts.
- Only connect with people you know and trust.
- Think twice before sharing personal details or identifiers, e.g. Birthdays or locations
- Blur or crop sensitive details in photos.
- Use strong, unique passphrases and turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all accounts.
- Understand your workplace social media policy.
What to do if your social media accounts have been compromised
If you think someone has gained access to your account:
- Change your passwords immediately – Use a strong, unique passphrase you haven’t used anywhere else.
- Enable mutli-factor authentication (MFA) – This adds an extra security layer even if your password is stolen.
- Log out of all devices – Most platforms allow you to end all active sessions from your security settings.
- Check for suspicious activity – Look for posts, messages, or settings changes you didn’t make.
- Advise friends and followers – Let them know that you’ve been compromised. Advise them to be wary of any suspicious messages from you and not to click on suspicious links from your account.
- Report the breach to the platform – Use the platform’s official reporting process to regain control and flag the incident. If you’re not happy with an online social network or other organisation’s response, you can lodge a complaint with OAIC.
- Monitor your finances – If your personal details were exposed, monitor your bank accounts closely for unusual transactions.
- De-registering devices from your Mobile Banking App – This can also be a smart step. It can help prevent fraud, unauthorised access, and unknown registrations.
How we help protect your bank accounts
At Australian Mutual Bank, your security is our priority. Our fraud monitoring systems are designed to detect suspicious activity quickly, and our team is here to support you if you think your bank account has been compromised.
If your social media account has been hacked and you believe your banking details may be at risk, contact us immediately on 13 61 91, Monday to Friday between 8:00am - 7:00pm, or Saturday between 8.30am - 11.30am (Sydney NSW local time), so we can act quickly to help protect your accounts. Outside of these hours, you can contact the 24/7 Fraud Bureau Service on 1300 705 750. In the meantime, remain calm and you can follow this guide from the Australian Cyber Security Centre for further support.
For more tips on staying safe online, visit our Security advice page.
Additional help
If you’ve been harassed, bullied or defamed you can find the relevant help here.
If you or someone you know has been affected and may need ongoing support, there are support services available. These avenues of support are available to help, listen and believe.
Your privacy is your responsibility. Take care with what you share!
Any advice or information in this article does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situation or needs and you should consider whether it is appropriate for you.
