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Identity Fraud Alert: Personal Home
Pages Can Invite Theft |
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Personal background, family genealogy, education history, work experience--these common
contents of personal home pages seem innocuous enough in the context of family
history and communication. But a Web site containing this kind of information
could be a gold mine for an identity thief.
Most home page owners would never post their Social Security number on their sites.
But many people post personal information, such as a family tree, that contains
details almost as valuable to an identity thief as a Social Security number.
Information common to family trees, such as full names, birthdays, and cities of
birth are all that a thief needs to obtain a copy of your birth certificate and,
with that, a driver's license bearing your name and the thief's photograph. With
those documents, s/he can open bank and credit accounts, rent an apartment, even
get a job or a criminal record--all in your name.
A family tree also reveals your mother's maiden name, which is frequently used as
the security password for bank and credit accounts.
Safeguarding your private information is the best measure you can take to prevent
identity theft and credit fraud. Be selective about what you or your family members
post on personal home pages--remember that if it's on the Web, it's available to the
world.
- Never post your Social Security number.
- Avoid posting sensitive information about you or your family that could lead to impersonation.
- Make sure your relatives know about and agree to any information you do put on the Web.
- If you do post a family tree, make sure you and your family all use passwords
other than your mother's maiden name for bank and credit accounts.
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