On January 21, Bryan Rutberg’s Facebook status suddenly changed to an alarming “Bryan NEEDS HELP URGENTLY!!!” Concerned friends began messaging Bryan, asking what was wrong and if there was anything they could do to help.

“Another friend, Beny Rubinstein, received a direct message explaining that Rutberg had been robbed at gunpoint in London and needed money to get back to the United States,” reports CNN.com. Rubinstein wired almost $1,200 to London.

Bryan, however, was actually safe at home. According to MSNBC, Bryan’s daughter noticed Rutberg’s status and rushed into his room to ask what was the matter. A confused Rutberg started receiving calls from concerned friends soon after. Realizing that his profile must have been hacked, “the Seattle resident and Microsoft employee spent the next 24 hours in a frantic search for a way to contact Facebook and stop the hackers,” reports Bob Sullivan, MSNBC.

The hackers had changed Rutberg’s login credentials, preventing him from logging on to stop them. When Rutberg tried to use his wife’s account to post on his wall that everything was okay, he discovered the hackers had “de-friended” her. Unable to contact many of his Facebook friends, Rutberg was left with little choice but to wait till the Facebook staff had sorted out the matter.

“It was all over by Thursday [the next day] but not without a hell of a lot of drama,” Rutberg said.

Unfortunately, for most using social networks, Rutberg’s profile hacking is not an isolated incident. “Rather than sending out millions of spam messages in the hopes of trapping a tiny fractions of recipients, Web criminals are getting much more personal in their attacks, using social networking sites and other databases to make their story lines much more believable,” writes Sullivan.

In an age where social networks are becoming more and more popular (Facebook reached 120 million members as of November 2008), it is important to know the potential dangers that come with a social profile. Myspace, Facebook, blogs, and e-mail accounts, are all susceptible to hackers and the like.

People may not be aware that when they terminate a profile on Facebook or Myspace, that profile does not actually disappear. Internet users can still see your data, and hackers can still break into your profile.

Facebook applications are another possible danger. A new study performed by the University of Virginia documented that 90.7% of Facebook applications access private information found on users’ profiles. “In terms of Facebook applications, a student has no choice as to what information is being shared. When a user chooses to add an application, the developer can access his or her personal information,” the study reported.

Under Privacy Settings, Facebook itself states, “When a friend of yours allows an application to access their information, that application may also access any information about you that your friend can already see.”

Though unable to block the application’s creator from accessing personal information, you can limit the information available to them in the Privacy Settings toolbar. Also, before accepting an application, take a look at the creator and get a general idea of what they may be looking for. As always, be smart. If it looks risky or unsafe, don’t accept the application.

Facebook signed an agreement in 2007 with major search engines such as Google to allow Facebook profiles to be searchable. Virtually anyone could access private information on such profiles. In order to protect yourself, you should consider restricting people’s access to your profile. The University of Texas at Austin’s website has some great tips (listed below) on how to stay safe online.

Most sites have privacy settings that you can control, such as “public,” “viewable only to those I choose,” and “private.” Utilize these options and control who has access to your profile.

Limit the amount of personal information you post. Keep your full name, address, social security number, telephone number, etc. secret. People online do not need to know these. If you want to give a friend your number, give it to them, not the entire community.

Be careful about how much you disclose about your life. Posting where you will be every minute of the day can lead to a possible physical attack on your personal self. By giving people a detailed (or even partially detailed) outline of your day, you give attackers the information they need to find you.

Photos are also vulnerable to hackers. People can save, edit, and otherwise manipulate photos posted online. Once a photo is online, it is no longer under your control.

Never take any information you learn online as fact. People fluff up their personal profiles, adding details, interests, and events that may not even be true just to keep up appearances or attract potential victims.

If you get in an uncomfortable conversation or are approached by someone suspicious online, use your common sense and end it. If the person persists, block them and report the incident to Facebook personnel.

Be aware that anyone can create a profile under a fake name. They can easily create a whole identity, complete with pictures, personal information, etc. Always be wary of who you accept as a friend. If you don’t know the person, just say no. It’s a big competition to have the most friends on Facebook, but if winning is at your cost it’s not worth it.

With social networks like Facebook and Myspace expanding in membership, it is important to realize the dangers that such communities present. Hackers, identity-stealers, and stalkers are just a few of the hazards. Be aware of who you are interacting with and what information you are giving away. On Facebook everyone is your friend, but that’s not how it works in the real world.