MySpace, A Place For Predators?

Hell has no fury like a woman scorned, and Heather Kane is the latest example of this. To make a long story short, Heather spotted her ex-boyfriend's new girlfriend on his MySpace profile, and hired a hit man to kill her. The hit man turned out to be an undercover cop who arrested her after she gave him a down payment of $400, and promised to give him the rest once the job was completed. She even requested pictures! It sounds like a plot out of a bad Hollywood movie, but unfortunately it isn't one. Heather got the woman's picture, home address and workplace information from MySpace. "It just shows you how dangerous MySpace is," Detective Jerry Gissel said. "How people can pull up information about you." Makes you wonder who would kill for $1,000, and what if the hitman wasn't a cop?

The reality is that MySpace is a public space, and you're likely to encounter shady characters from all over the world. Your profile is going to be viewed by child molesters, sex offenders, thieves, online scammers and every other criminal out there. Posting identifying information of yourself online is just naive. You can't always control who looks at your blog or profile, but you can control what you reveal about yourself online. Don't become a target, instead, take some protective measures, and never volunteer information about yourself online.

1. Personal Information: Never list any identifiable information such as your home address, school name, cell phone number, details of your whereabouts or even real name. Use an alias instead of your real name. This is a no-brainer.

2. Pictures: You may not be aware, but those online photos on your profile may valuable clues to predators. Wired Safety recommends against posting pictures of your car, your house, school or with clothing that would help others find you offline. Digitally enhance pictures with programs like Photoshop, blur out information or crop the picture to reveal minimal details. Never, ever post pictures of yourself in suggestive clothing. You're only going to attract trouble.

3. Profile: Keep a private profile. This is the best way to protect your private information on MySpace. Set up a second account minus the personal details for acquaintances, and use your best judgment before you add them to your private profile. Here's some info on how to set a profile to private on MySpace.

4. Meetings: Never meet strangers alone. If you decide to meet anyone you met online, do it during the day, and take your friends with you.

Do you have any other safety tips for social networking users?

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