Young people at risk of online fraud due to “sharenting”

Barclays Bank has forecast that “sharenting” will account for two-thirds of identity fraud among young people by the end of the decade, costing £667m per year. According to the bank’s security specialists, identity fraud has “never been easier” as a result of social media and parents sharing too much information about their children online. Parents often reveal names, ages, date of birth, home addresses, place of birth, mother’s maiden name, schools, the name of pets, sports teams supported and photographs online, all of which can compromise young people’s financial security. Barclays warns that details shared by parents will still be available and could be used for fraudulent loans, credit card transactions or online shopping scams when young people become adults.