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The number of online identity theft attacks is increasing alarmingly each year with no signs of slowing down. And, it now looks like teenagers aren’t being spared either – in fact, they’ve become the latest victims of identity thieves. Two reasons for this could be clean credit and a fairly low level of identity theft awareness among teens. Hence, educating 13-19 year olds about the dangers of identity theft is vital in preventing them from falling victim to this notorious and crime.
However, another major concern is social networking sites. Not only are they massively popular, but they also seem to be mushrooming all over the Net these days. And, it’s no secret that social networking sites such as Myspace, are a favorite breeding ground for unscrupulous identity thieves to target their next innocent victim. Most teenagers on Myspace don’t give a thought to security issues and readily post all of their personal information on the site. These could include their full name, age, address, etc, etc.
Unfortunately, doing this only makes them easy targets for unethical online identity thieves that lurk on Myspace and other social networking websites.
According to a survey conducted by Qwest Communications Teen Council Program, these are the top 5 reasons why teenagers are so vulnerable to identity theft attacks:
1) Chatting, and in some cases, meeting up with strangers via their social networking page
2) Unaware of ‘phishing’ emails
3) Posting all of their their personal details on various sites
4) Storing personal information (eg. usernames and passwords, social security number, etc.) in cell phones
5) Revealing their SSN on online job applications
Further, it’s been found out that many teens willingly share their private details in order to be more popular amongst their peer group.
Identity theft experts explain that a teenager’s identity is far more valuable than money. And, the most ideal way of protecting it is by possessing a good knowledge of identity theft.
There are numerous strategies they can adopt in order to protect themselves from falling victim to an identity theft attack. Below, is some advice you can pass on to teenagers:
* In case they’re planning on attending college, request the authorities to refrain from using their SSN (social security number) as their college identification number.
* Never give out their private details over the Internet or phone, unless they’re absolutely sure of who they’re are dealing with.
* If they’re a mature young adult, make sure they carefully scrutinize their credit report before applying for they’re first apartment or a student loan.
* Always, always keep their social security card and birth certificate in a safe and secure place.
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