As the use of social media or social networking on site like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and more, has exploded, so has the number of scammers trolling there for victims.

Luckily, protecting yourself on social media sites isn't hard. Just follow the simple rules your mom taught you as a kid.

1. Be choosy about your friends.

Do you really have 1,209 friends? Well then why have you "friended" all those strangers who've come calling or accepted them as followers on Twitter? In reality you have no idea who half those people are or what their ulterior motives might be.

Yes, one of the plusses of social media is meeting new people and extending your network. But it is also one of the biggest dangers. It's easy for criminals to pose as someone they aren't. It's also very simple for scammers to assume a fake identity--usually that of someone well known.

2. Don't tell strangers that no one's home.

You wouldn't leave a note on your front door announcing to anyone who came knocking that you were away on vacation and the house was empty, would you? Well then don't announce it to the world on a social media site!

Beware status updates like "at the mall" or "leaving for dinner" that give thieves an open invitation.

3. Don't tell strangers your name or where you live...

Or lots of other personal information for that matter. Using social media can put you at risk for identity theft if you aren't careful about what type of information you share. It may seem innocent enough to post that you are going out for your birthday, but your birth date, combined with your name and your address (which is easy enough to find these days) is enough for many scammers to use to steal your ID.

Your posts can be a goldmine for thieves. In fact, according to PC World, 33% of all social media users have at least three pieces of information posted that could be used to steal their identity.

Think it can't happen to you?  Think again.  We take tons of precautions yet we had our identity stolen.

4. Put yourself in someone else's shoes.

In this case, in a criminal's shoes.

Your posts about your dog Fluffy, your high school reunion for Valley High, your son Johnny's soccer win...all seem innocent enough until you think like a thief. All those posts contain information commonly used as answers to online security questions.

That photograph you post of the last party you had seems fine, until you realize that it shows thieves a great view of your fancy sound system and home entertainment system. Before you post, think carefully about what you decide to share.

5. Don't accept gifts from strangers.

Most of the "gifts" on social media sites come in the form of links people want you to click.

Unfortunately, many of these links are nothing more than ploys to steal your account information or spread malicious software (known as malware).

If you get a Tweet or post supposedly from a friend that doesn't sound like something they would send, don't be fooled! It likely means their account has been hijacked to send spam.

6. Lock the door behind us.

Most social media sites have various security settings. Be sure you use them. Facebook for example, let's you set your account so that it isn't accessible to anyone but people you accept as friends. Twitter lets you receive notification when someone wants to follow you and you must accept the request before they can see your tweets. Take a few minutes to review your settings and activate security settings that can help keep you safe.

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