What you share about yourself in the cyber world has far-reaching effects into the real world.
Back in 2010, I wrote an article entitled, “NO! It’s not just Twitter,” and some people scoffed at the idea that what they were tweeting would be of any concern in their “real” lives.
Well, for those who didn’t take that article seriously, maybe they’ll be convinced by an article in The Wall Street Journal that says that lenders are mining social media networks to find out if borrowers are giving true and accurate information on their loan applications.
According to the article by Stephanie Armour, lenders are checking your LinkedIn accounts to see if the job you list there is the same as the job you listed on your loan application. They’re also trolling your Facebook account to see if you’ve posted information about being fired from a job but put on your application that you’ve never been fired from a job.
Armour even says that companies who sell on eBay are less likely to be considered for a loan if eBay buyers leave lots of negative feedback.
The lending companies are also paying attention to the company you keep online.
For the full story, read Borrowers Hit Social-Media Hurdles by Stephanie Armour.
