It’s no secret that most people have zero filters when it comes to posting on social media.

I’m talking about common sense here, not the range of hipster filters on Instagram.

It’s also no secret that once something is on the internet, it stays on the internet, and your Instagram and Facebook account is never going to be as private as you’d like to pretend it is.

What you post could also have real-world consequences when it comes to your insurance claims.

According to BusinessTech, insurance companies are tracking South African clients on social media.

Vera Nagtegaal, executive head of Hippo.co.za, tells the following story about a woman who made a claim for repairs to her BMW after hitting a tree, stating that she had been the driver of the vehicle.

However, her son posted a photo of the car after the accident, saying “crashed mum’s BMW after a night on the town, but don’t worry, it’s insured.”

The insurer subsequently rejected the claim.

“Your first instinct is to think that the son did something wrong by posting about the incident on social media, but in fact, the mother also did the wrong thing by submitting a dishonest claim,” said Nagtegaal.

If that kid isn’t grounded for life, then I’ve officially lost all faith in humanity.

Back to how this affects you:

“Insurance companies are increasingly using social media as another avenue for investigating claims, and the information that they find there can be damning, especially if it goes against the information in the client’s claim statement,” she said.

In the future, what you post could also affect how you claim or what you pay for insurance. One of the things under consideration at the moment is whether or not people put themselves at risk by posting information that could help criminals.

Nagtegaal said that while she is not aware of any clauses prohibiting posts about going on holiday on social media – an act which is seen as an open invitation to criminals – it is something that it is under consideration by the insurance industry.

“There is quite a bit of chatter around this in the industry at the moment, but nothing like this has been included in the contracts of insurance/terms and conditions – at least for Hippo partners,” said Nagtegaal.

It’s probably a good idea to start thinking carefully about what you post on social media, anyway.

Better to be safe, than sorry.

[source:businesstech]