Protecting your identity on social networks
We are committed to safeguarding the privacy of our customers’ and clients’ information. A few simple precautions will help avert the threat of identity theft.
When using online social networks, it is vital you consider your own information security.
Don’t give away too much information
Social networks such as Twitter and Facebook are great ways of sharing news with your friends, but be careful about the type of information you give away about yourself online.
It’s easy to willingly reveal your full name, address, telephone number, date of birth, mother’s maiden name or place of birth without a second thought – but identity thieves can potentially use these details to uncover your identity and pose as you. When you share anything online, ask yourself whether it could be used to identify you, and in turn be used by someone pretending to be you.
Watch out for scam emails
Some scam emails will try to trick you into giving away your identity information. These will often look like they have come from a social network, but they will contain links to fake login pages where your password information can be accessed.
Find out more about protecting yourself from scam emails on the UK government’s Get Safe Online website. If you are in any doubt about a site, don’t give away your password or any other personal information.
Don’t use the same password on all sites
Use different passwords for different sites – from social networks to online banking – to make it harder for identity thieves to access your personal details. Choose passwords that are harder to guess, with a mix of letters, numbers and punctuation.
