(Radio Iowa) — Iowans who overshare on social media might embarrass themselves, but they could also lose control of their personal information or become a target for burglars. Consumer protection advocate Lara Sutherlin says Iowans should limit their posts to just the people they trust, like restricting Facebook messages to “friends only” and not to the entire world.

Sutherlin says, “We encourage people to disable their geotagging, which allows anybody to see where you are –and where you aren’t — at any given time.” By showing online you just checked in at a favorite restaurant, that’s also telling everyone you’re likely gone from your house for an hour or so, which could make you a target for a break-in. Posting while on vacation could be exponentially worse. Sutherlin says a few recent high-profile cases have demonstrated how trying to make a joke on social media could end up getting you fired.

“Even if you delete a post or a picture from your profile seconds after posting it, chances are someone saw it and it’s out there in the ether and you can’t get it back,” she says. “So really be thoughtful about what you put out there and whether it needs to be out there.” In one case earlier this month, a Waterloo teacher lost his job after making a threatening comment about climate change activist Greta Thunberg. While social media is a great way to connect with friends and family, Sutherlin says it’s also a good place for crooks to try and find victims to scam. She says it’s important to stay vigilant and to resist the urge to click links or give information online.

“You name it, there’s a number of ways in which scammers online try to elicit information from you through building trust.” Too much shared information could give criminals a way to figure out your routine and the best ways to steal from you.