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Halloween safety warning: Watch what you tweet, be discreet

E-mail | Print |Comments () Posted by Mitch Lipka October 21, 2011 02:31 PM

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Oh sure, you've been warned about eating too much candy on Halloween. You know, Don't Eat Too Many Treats!

But what about being warned about having too many tweets? The Chubb Group of Insurance Companies is warning folks who use social networks including Twitter to not give away too much personal information.

Their suggestions:

Don't alert thieves to empty homes or let strangers know that you're leaving your home or where you're going.
Throwing a Halloween party? Don't tell your followers. Unwanted strangers will be as plentiful as bedbugs.
Got into a brawl at a party? Derogatory comments can be used against you in a defamation lawsuit.
Kids at a classmate’s party? Keep the specific whereabouts to yourself to help protect them from predators and child abductors.

"Halloween is my favorite holiday and already I've seen some great Lady Gaga and Glee costumes on Facebook. It's fun to share, but I urge you to think about the implications of what you say in social media and who can see it," said Christie Alderman, a vice president for Chubb Personal Insurance. "No matter how many 'likes' you collect from your friends, it isn't worth putting your family's safety and security at risk. Err on the side of caution when posting private, personal details on social media..."

tags chubb, halloween, safety, treats, twitter

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About the author

Mitch Lipka is one of America's leading consumer journalists and advocates. He is an expert in product safety, recalls, scams, and helping consumers get out of jams. He is a nationally known consumer columnist and runs TheConsumerChronicle.com. He lives in Worcester. You can find him on Facebook or reach him at ConsumerNews@Aol.com