In a previous post, I discussed the profile of the typical identity thief and victim. But, according to a recent “fraud index” report by Equifax that I stumbled upon, the fastest growing group of identity theft victims are those between the ages of 18 and 29, the demographic that utilizes social networking sites most. Some simple tips and advice on preventing identity theft on social networking sites seems to be in order.
With sites such as MySpace and Facebook continuing to grow in popularity, many people in the 18-29 age group are simply revealing too much information about themselves. For example, freely giving out their full names, their phone numbers, their addresses, and their birth dates is simply not safe to do. Many even discuss their employers or former employers or give out their friend’s and pet’s names. They also discuss where they like to hang out and what they like to do, all of which can be used to gain access to personal account information.
Many people that share this information don’t realize how easy it can be for a person to puzzle these pieces of information together, painting a complete informational profile of their victims. Although I’m certainly not recommending that people live in a bubble and stop using these social networking sites entirely, it’s very important to be safe and smart about the type of information that you share and who you share it with. Assuredly, young adults, like everyone else, need to actively and consistently monitor their loan statements, bank statements, and credit card statements for unusual activity. Similarly, if you’re expecting a bill and it never arrives in your mailbox, contact an account representative right away.
Of course, you also need to remember that none of the posts or profiles you create on the Internet are truly private. In fact, all anyone needs to do to reveal information about you is a quick Google search of your name.
Be careful about what you post online and information that you share. Above all, never share passwords or give out any personal information that can be used to answer security questions and potentially provide access to unwelcome guests.
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