UK Personal Finance

Fun Walls, Sticky Notes and People Poking, an online phenomenon that has been sending everyone potty.

30m people world wide are connected to Facebook, a site where you can build up a community, all of these your friends, colleagues and family; but could all this mean your money and identity are in danger. Many users enter all of their details onto their own page which also might include a picture that can be changed. Many users would include there address, phone number, home town and also there date of birth, along with these they ask questions like interests, favourite music, films the list goes on; but people feel obliged to enter all of this information and tell secrets from their past.

This all may seen like a bit of fun and games, its just somewhere to meet friends; but what’s the real story behind someone who has added you who you have never met could they be legit or just after your money and identity. Facebook recently was used by Oxford Dons to see if the students where behaving in their post-exam parties and celebrations.

Experian’s James Jones explained that joining Facebook means putting to much information about yourself. Even though this is good fun, people don’t realise how careful they have to be because of the amount of information you need to give out. Research today shows that burglars are just as likely to take sensitive documents, for example bank statements and many bills, just like they would take stereos, Sky Boxes ect.

ID fraud expert from Callcredit, Owen Roberts, adds that users upload information that is like gold to an identity thief, this causes devastation to thousands of people every day. He goes on to explain that when people say that their going on holiday or out for the night this alerts burglars and if the user has an address on the page this would be a recipe for disaster.

According to APACS fraud from banking online has risen by 44% last year to £33.5m; fraud from internet shopping hit £155m. Banks have recently started to ask more serious questions that only the account holder would know, for example, birth place and maiden name, before letting the user into the account over the phone or via the internet.

According to Experian between 5% and 10% of fraud is committed by a friend, relative or colleagues of the victim. Many users just accept people even if they do not know who it is; but there is a 50/50 chance that this might be a fraudster.

Robert advises users to be careful who they accept as friends and make sure your passwords are all different.

Jones also advises putting the odd piece of information that you have made up as this will throw off any fraudster.

Article Author Personal-Finance_Loan.co.uk