Protect Yourself From Identity Theft on the Internet
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They are a great resource for moms, a stress reliever, a place to vent, a place to find support. Mom’s message boards (like the ones at Babies Online!) are one of my favorite things about the internet. It’s wonderful to have somewhere to ask things like “Are your stretchmarks as horrendous as mine?”, “Does your baby spit up this much?” and “does breastfeeding get easier?” and have someone sympathize and say me too! mine too! and it will get better.
Making friends online is great. If you are not a member of an online community, I really recommend it. Just a word of warning. Watch out how much personal information you give away - in public forums, not everyone is a friendly mom - some might be identity thieves.
For example, in a forum I visited for pregnant moms, the moms were talking about their birthdays, then their ages. One mom said she was going to name her daughter with her mother’s last name. And she worked as a waitress at (chain restaurant) in (small town) in the evenings. Her screen name was mrs-jones. (I changed that, but her screen name was her last name.) She mentioned her husband by name, and that he works nights. So now someone reading knows her date of birth, her full name, her husband’s full name, her mother’s maiden name, can probably get her address from the phone book, and knows she’s out in the evenings. Identity theft anyone? Or burglary?
There was also lots of mom bonding and pajama-party conversations about favorite ice-cream flavors and sharing excitement over feeling the first kick and a lot of good laughs. So don’t think I’m trying to put you off - joining a moms group online is lots of fun - but do be aware of how much you are sharing.
Have you ever been a victim of identity theft? Did someone get your details online? Have you got any stories to share?
Joe says...
Good to see you bringing awareness of identity theft to parents. Most folks don’t realize that children are actually the largest growing segment of identity theft victims. It is pretty simple for parents to prevent child id theft. Your readers may find this guide helpful:
http://www.nextadvisor.com/identity_theft_protection_services/child_identity_theft_protection_guide.php