Are You a Target for Social Networking Identity Theft?

Social networking. Most of us do it. For some of us it’s an addiction. But it can be dangerous. Social networking identity theft is on the rise as more and more identity thieves adapt to this increasingly easy way to steal your identity. Once they have your identity, the sky’s the limit. They can drain your bank account, run up your credit, and virtually destroy you financially. And it all starts with some “innocent” communication online.

Social Networking Identity Theft Statistics

The statistics are in, and they aren’t pretty. According to PC World, one third of members of social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and MySpace have at least three pieces of personal information posted on their profile that can make stealing their identity easy for identity thieves. These include full names, birth dates, addresses, phone numbers, names of parents, and names of children. When pieced together, this information makes stealing your identity on social networking Web sites as easy as creating a fake profile on one of these sites.

Although nearly 80% of people in the PC World poll said they were concerned about their privacy on social networking sites, about 60% said they had no idea what their privacy settings were and who could see their personal information on those sites.

Scary statistics? Yes. A playground for social networking identity theft? You bet.

Prevention Tips

Follow these tips to avoid becoming a victim:

Personal Information: How much do you want the world to know about you? Remember: Your friends aren’t just finding you on Facebook. Scammers may be seeking you out as well. Keep your personal information safe by not posting your full name, birthday, address, phone number, and other private information that could be used to find you. Don’t even think about posting seemingly harmless information like when you’ll be out of town or when you’re at the gym. A growing identity theft tactic is to identify when you’re gone and then pounce to break-in and rob your home. Sound crazy? It happens all the time. Think before you tweet “Going on vacation for a week.”
Learn the Rules: All social networking sites are different and they all have their own rules. Identity thieves take advantage of this vulnerability and prey on you before you even know what happened. They know the faster they get to you, the faster they can rob you. Before you register with a site, read the privacy policy and terms of use to avoid becoming another victim.
Restrict Access: You’re in control. Always remember that. You don’t have to share everything to the world. Most social networking sites allow you to restrict access to your page so only “real friends” can keep up with you. Steer clear of social networking identity theft by only allowing people you actually know (not even friends of friends who could be posing as identity thieves) to be friends and follow you.
Google Alerts: This is free and easy. Just setup a free Google Alerts notification for your full name. You’ll get an email every time your name shows up in a search online. This helps prevent identity theft because you can see where, how, and why your name is being searched for online. If it looks suspicious, such as someone pretending to be you, you can take immediate action.
Post for Posterity: Everything you post online “lives” forever. Even if you think you’ve deleted information from a site it exists on people’s computers that they can then use to steal your identity-even years after you posted it!

Protect Yourself!

The moral of the story? Have fun on social networks, but be cautious. You never know who may want to be your “friend.” If you want to learn more about fool-proof ways to prevent social networking identity theft, contact The IdentityAdvocate at 310.831.4400 or email info@theidentityadvocate.com.