As exciting as it is to share the news that you’ve been vaccinated, try to avoid showing photos of your Covid-19 vaccine cards—given to inoculated people as a record—on social media.
The vaccine card includes personal information like your name, date of birth, which vaccine you got, and at which clinic or venue—and maybe more depending on where you are. If your privacy settings aren’t very high, all of this information leaves you vulnerable to information theft.
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Once your information is public, scammers can use it to figure out what your social security number is from just your date and place of birth. The more personal the information is, the easier it will be to steal your identity online.
Vaccine-related fraud has only added to the list of Covid-19 related phishing scams and privacy pitfalls; these include the sale of forged versions of the paper vaccination cards.
You can still celebrate your vaccination publicly
One way you can share your news online without giving away any personal information is to simply say you’ve been vaccinated—a picture of the little band-aid on your arm or just being at the clinic getting your shot works just as well. Some vaccine sites are giving out stickers that you can stick on and take photos of.
If you’ve already posted a picture of your vaccine card, delete it, and consider adjusting your privacy settings.
And once you’re also back to traveling abroad, it’s also a good idea to refrain from posting pictures of your plane ticket or digital vaccine passport.
Read more: 4 ways you can be identified on social media