Criminals Using Facebook for Identity Theft to be Punished

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Criminals Using Facebook for Identity Theft to be Punished | Photo 02

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Criminals are moving online in greater numbers looking for easy targets. 

Unfortunately, many people using social networking sites likes Facebook and MySpace make it too easy for criminals by freely providing too much personal information online.

The desire to make contact with old school friends and acquaintances by providing these personal details online is a contributing factor.

Many people just don't realize how easy it is for criminals to use this information.

Using key information like date of birth, hometown and employment details, criminals are finding it much easier to create false identities and access user's bank accounts.

In Australia, criminals who are caught using social networking sites for identity thefts now face up to ten years jail.

Everyone can do their part in stopping these criminals by taking a few simple precautions. 

Where possible, they should avoid publicly listing their date of birth and simply not providing their home town information anywhere on social networking sites.