Area 5 of 7 · Social media and personal data
Protect Your Privacy
Scammers do their homework on your public profile. The less they can read about you, the less convincing their story will be.
Learn: five habits
Judge Joshi explains what to do, and why it works.
Make your profiles private
Set posts to "Friends" only. Hide your friend list, phone number and date of birth.
Why: A public friend list lets a scammer copy your profile and ask your friends for money.
Share less than you think
Keep your full date of birth, home address, ID cards, tickets and travel plans off social media.
Why: These details answer the security questions that banks and helpdesks ask.
Guard your Aadhaar and PAN
Share a masked Aadhaar that shows only the last 4 digits. Lock your Aadhaar biometrics in the mAadhaar app.
Why: Copies of identity documents are used to open accounts and take loans in your name.
Think before you accept
Do not accept a request from a stranger, or a second request from someone who is already your friend.
Why: A duplicate profile is the first step of an impersonation scam.
Protect your children online
No school uniform, name badge or live location in public posts. Keep a child's account private, with parental controls on.
Why: A stranger needs only a name and a school to reach a child.
Red flags to remember
- A second profile of someone you already know
- A "fun quiz" asking for your pet's name or first school
- A loan app asking for your contacts and photos
- A stranger asking to move the chat to another app
- Someone you have never met asking for photos or a video call
Play
Clear at least one. The games are short, and every answer is explained.
Start here · Detective
Not playedPrivacy Detective
Two public profiles are giving away far too much. Tap every detail a stranger should not be able to see.
With Byte · 13 cluesPlay Spot
Not playedSocial Media: Safe or Risky?
Byte reads out everyday social media moments. Catch the risky ones before Zoro does.
With Byte · 8 itemsPlay Story
Not playedBit's Online World
Free game diamonds, strangers and mean messages. Help Bit stay safe online.
With Shikha · 6 scenesPlay Practise
Optional, and worth it: a longer exercise that asks for your name and email so that your result is saved.
Check
Five situations from this area. Score 80 or more to complete it.
Mini test: 5 quick situations
Pick what you would really do in each one. Score 80 or more to complete this area. There is no timer, and you can try as many times as you like.
- About 2 minutes
- No sign-up
- Nothing leaves your phone
Lost money to a scam? Call 1930 at once, then your bank, then file a complaint on cybercrime.gov.in. The first hour matters most.
Call 1930