Limit the information you put on social networking sites
March 27, 2008
Consumers are being warned to limit the amount and type of information that they place on social networking sites such as Facebook, with officials warning that the information placed on these sites could help thieves and fraudsters to gather enough information to commit fraud or in some cases even to commit burglary. This sort of website has soared in popularity over recent years, and the information that members place on the site can often be seen by thousands of other members.
An editor from the consumer group Which? explained that he had joined the group, and a researcher had managed to find out a range of personal information about him from his membership profile. He said: “It was a real shock to see how much personal information about me could be found online, which could potentially be used by crooks to commit fraud. We all need to take steps to protect our data - both online and offline - by being more aware of how our personal data could be used and taking care who we share it with.”
When people join these social networking sites they enter details including the creation of a personal profile. This includes date of birth, the area that they live in, and details of friends and family. This is a mine of information for someone with dishonourable intentions, who can easily use this data to gather even more information and then commit fraudulent acts under the person’s name.
Facebook has become one of the major social networking sites over the past year, but has reported a recent drop in the number of visitors to the site, which may be partly connected to the concerns that have been highlighted over security issues and potential fraud and theft.
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