Social networking on such portholes as MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and the like are become increasingly popular. Unfortunately, there is a downside to such interactions over the internet.....a risk of denial of your disability insurance claim based on information you are putting on the web.

Social networking sites are routinely mined by employers, investigators, and others to gather information on people for any number of reasons. Ask any divorce attorney, they have assistants who go to every dating site in an effort to prove a spouse's infidelity. Insurers have more money, time, and personnel to investigate. Do you think that they won't when their money is at stake?

Disability insurers are a profit-based industry. Their profit increases with their ability to deny claims. Increasingly, insurers will be researching claimant's information put on-line as a means of demonstrating an individual's ability to work. The insurer will gladly take advantage of posted items such as hobbies, travel, family gatherings, etc.

As I have written in previous articles, insurers enjoy utilizing undercover videosurveillance as a means of demonstrating inconsistencies in claimed abilities as compared to actual abilities. This is just an opportunity for them to conduct internet surveillance instead. In fact, it is far cheaper than the videosurveillance. The key difference is that the information in the case of social networking is provided directly by claimants themselves.

For the reasons cited, you should avoid posting any information which runs contrary to any claims you have made in your claim. This goes well beyond anything you may believe is directly contradictory. I have witnessed an insurer go so far as to claim that a person traveling in a car driven by someone else to be evidence of nondisability. In another case, a disabled physician's volunteer activities as a guide in a church was utilized as evidence of his being able to work. No accusation by an insurer is too petty when their money is concerned. The insurer will twist anything posted to its advantage. Your mission is to make sure this does not happen to you.

Use Common Sense - Do Not Post Notes, Photos, Videos Which Show You Engaged in Work, Volunteer, or Recreational Activities on Social Networking Sites at All. Better to be Safe Than Sorry. It Just Is Not Worth the Risk of Losing Your Much Needed Monthly Disability Payments for the Sake of Revealing Your Personal Information.