Other LanguagesDespite all the warnings, many folks who use social networks leave themselves vulnerable to identity theft and threats to their physical safety.
Tuesday, a company called ID Analytics released its 2010 Network Fraud survey that found 21 percent of adult social network users are leaving their profiles open for anyone to see. That’s about 24 million Americans.
- 63 percent of those who use social networking sites list schools they attended.
- 70 million people shared their birthplace
- 20 million give out their pet’s name
Why does this matter?
"The type of information they're disclosing is the exact same information they're often being asked for when they sign on for online financial or other accounts.,” explained Thomas Oscherwitz, chief privacy officer at ID Analytics in an interview with KOMO radio.
And if you're posting vacation updates on an open site, you're telling the world your home is vacant.
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