The survey found that almost one third (30%) of British adults with a social media account include their full name and date of birth on their profile pages. An even higher 37% of people who use their smart phone as their main way to access the internet are revealing too much information.
The survey shows that younger generations are far more comfortable sharing their name and date of birth; 48% of 18-24 year olds online divulge this information compared to 28% for the 35-44 age bracket.
Fraudsters can use a name and date of birth to obtain additional information, including a person’s address. This then gives them enough detail to take over an identity and carry out criminal activities such as applying for a loan or credit card under the stolen identity.
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