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EQUIFAX BACKS GET SAFE ONLINE CAMPAIGN

Equifax survey* reveals that 63% present their email address on a plate for phishers

London 12th November 2007 – Leading credit information provider and ID fraud expert, Equifax, is welcoming the calls for social networking users to be more vigilant with their personal details as part of this week’s Get Safe Online campaign.

“The Get Safe Online campaign has revealed that one in four of the 10.8 million users on sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Friends Reunited expose information such as contact details or dates of birth on their online profiles” confirmed Neil Munroe, External Affairs Director, Equifax. “A recent survey we conducted on this issue reinforces these findings”

  • 63% of social networkers make their email address public.
  • Female social networkers are more careful than men with their personal contact details. But more women give their date of birth on social network sites – an easy route to ID fraud.
  • Male social networkers are more free and easy with their email and telephone number than women.
  • Younger generations are more casual with personal information than those in their 40s and 50s.

“Our survey revealed that of those using social networking sites, 87% have their full name and 38% their date of birth on their profile” confirmed Neil Munroe. “27% place their education history online and 26% do the same with their work history. What people don’t seem to realise is how valuable this information is. The fact is these sites can act like a directory for fraudsters.

“It’s terrifying how little information fraudsters need to be able to open accounts in an individual’s name, rack up huge debts and leave the victim, at best to spend hundreds of hours sorting out the problem and at worse, picking up the bill. Although all these sites provide users with security measures, our survey found that 30% don’t use them and a startling 65% make their email address public, also making them a prime target for phishing and scammers.”

Neil Munroe is available to provide comment on identity fraud and theft during Get Safe Online Week. Neil Munroe has extensive experience and expertise on the subject of identity fraud. He can provide soundbites on the size of the problem, ways in which ID theft and fraud can take place including the latest trends and give advice on ways consumers can protect themselves from becoming a victim.

END

Neil Munroe can be contacted via the Equifax PR Team at HSL:

Louise Fowler/Elinor Puzey/Claire Foster on 020 8977 9132 louise@harrisonsadler.com