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Until recently, marketing consultant Jenifer Vogt clicked “Confirm” on every Facebook friend request she received. “Like many people on Facebook, I was on a quest to accumulate friends,” admits Vogt, founder of The Creative Compendium consulting practice in Boca Raton, Fla.

But eventually, increased concerns about her privacy brought Vogt to trim down her “friends” list to just close friends and family. “While I was [cutting back], it seemed that everyone was doing the opposite,” she says. “More and more, I’d see people’s friend counts rise, and wonder, ‘Do they know 500-plus people personally?’”

Risky friend choices
When it comes to social networks, far more is at stake than your ego or even your annoyance at mundane postings from people you don’t know well. You could be putting your personal data at risk.

Still, many of us aren’t that selective when it comes to allowing strangers or casual acquaintances in our social networks. According to 2009 research by British insurance company Legal & General, almost 80 percent of those surveyed thought befriending someone they had met on vacation was a good idea. Almost half said they would add a friend on a social network simply based on whether the person has an appealing photo. And earlier this year, a fictitious profile for an attractive young woman acquired 480 friends before someone got wise to the stunt.

By adding friends indiscriminately, you could be giving critical information to burglars, identity thieves and others.

How to manage your friends list
Just as in real life, it’s important to know who your friends are on social networks. Follow these tips to make smart choices and protect your information:

• “Friend” frugally. Add friends slowly, advises Fran Maier, founder and president of TRUSTe, an organization that authenticates privacy practices for business websites. “Start out small and test the waters,” she says.

• Don’t fall for a pretty face. Hackers, identity thieves and even potential employers troll for friends by posing as attractive potential friends. “There are spammers and hackers out there who create accounts and try to friend thousands of people at once,” says Patrick Ambron, chief marketing officer of Brand-Yourself, a company that helps people manage their online reputation. Make sure you keep security software updated on your computer to catch potential hazards.

• Do your research. If you receive a request from someone you can’t seem to place, investigate further. See if you share mutual friends, and ask a mutual friend how he or she knows the person. Look through the person’s complete profile and be wary if the information is sketchy. Also try Googling the person’s name.

• Define your boundaries. Determine how you’ll use a social network, suggests Maier. For example, she uses LinkedIn for extended business connections but reserves Facebook for people she is closer with.

• Set your privacy levels. If you don’t know someone well, take advantage of custom privacy settings to limit what they see, says Ambron. On Facebook, go to Account, then Privacy Settings. Click on Customize Settings, then you can choose to customize a number of levels. If you select Customize, you can block individuals from seeing specific categories of information. If you’re promoting a business, create a Facebook page or group rather than using your personal profile, says Vogt.

If you remember that bad guys are after the personal information you share on social networks, you’re likely to view these “friendships” more cautiously. “Now, people I’ve met casually, even if I really clicked with them, remain in my address book until a friendship develops,” says Vogt.

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