by Rebecca Marlow

Created on: October 24, 2008   Last Updated: October 30, 2008

Identity theft is a huge problem in today's online society. Sitting at our desks all day, we rely on getting things done conveniently and quickly by doing it online. Everything we do is traced, tracked and recorded, somewhere in the great byte station in the sky. If you can be identified using just one piece of information about you, then you run the risk of theives getting credit cards, passport documents, drivers licences, bank accounts, high-end purchases and anything else based on your good credit rating and clean record. They don't have to be in the same country. All you will get is a call from your bank saying you owe them a bucket load of money for things you've never seen.

The best way to avoid identity theft online is to not sign up for anything online...ever. If you have to, then here are some of the basic rules.

If it looks cheap, it probably is. If you are asked address details but they shouldn't need to post you something, then either make something up or don't fill it in.

Never, ever enter your real date of birth. If you really have to enter something, make up a date but make sure it's one you can remember.

Never enter your bank details without asking the question why it's wanted. There are shopping sites that should have a good reputation, a feedback option and a real address where you can send your abusive letter if you don't receive your goods. Be aware that feedback forums can be made up so read a few to get an idea of how genuine the feedback is. Look for a physical address and an invite from the seller to come and view or pick up your product. Try to buy from a local address if you can help it.

Don't reply to spam. If the email has come from someone you don't know or a site you've never signed up for, chances are the minute you respond, your details are recorded. You may receive an email from someone you know but who wouldn't normally correspond with you this way. It's possible they're account has been hacked and their address book used to fish for more victims. Contact them a different way and ask them to confirm their email. Google suspicious emails by either their address or the topic. Never open them. Cold calling will usually annoy one person who will post something online to warn others about it.

Websites that are poorly designed with lots of flashing are a dead giveaway that something isn't what it claims to be. Always ask questions, "why do they want this information?". You wouldn't normally give personal details to a stranger on the street, so why would you do it online.

Social networking pages hold their own levels of problems. If you're adding 'friends', make sure they're really people you know. Once you've added that stranger, potentially, they're a hacker at home digging into your details. Most online networking sites shouldn't need anything more than your email address (keep one for private use and one for everything else) and your name. Remember, even if their site is legitimate, they can be hacked too.

The most important rule is to treat everything with a healthy dose of suspicion and if it just doesn'l look right, sound right, feel right, then it probably isn't. Remember that any personal question you answer that involves your phone numbers, email addresses, residential addresses, dates of birth for you or your family, can be used to steal your identity.

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