Question of the Fortnight Is the technology age-gap really as wide as we think?

? Young people may be at greater risk of identity theft than older computer users

people these days. . They’re practically born rn with a mobile phone in one ne hand, a laptop in the other and a degree in social media, ia, aren’t they? At least that’s thehe conventional wisdom.

The truth is that, howeverer well versed in Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram,am, Pinterest (we could go on) your average 25-year-old might be, it’s unlikely they’re’re making much effort to protectotect themselves from identity fraud. In fact, as anyone withth a teenager in their life will tell you, they’re more interesteded in letting their friends know they’re currently laughing out loud (LOL) at a video of someone’s ‘eating’ habits (see ‘The World’s Gone Mad’ page 8).

Fraud Prevention company Cifas has cast a spotlight on this lackadaisical attitude with the publication of its Fraudscape 2016 identity fraud survey ( www.snipca. com/21114) – which collates the data of 261 organisations that monitor and record fraud cases. The Cifas survey’s top-level statistics show that 169,592 UK residents were duped by fraudsters last year (a 49 per cent increase from 2014 to 2015); but the survey digs a little deeper than that.

Looking into the age groups reveals that 23,959 people under 30 fell victim to identity fraud in 2015, compared with 25,934 people aged 60 and over. This not-too-dissimilar figure seems to suggest that the youth of today isn’t quite as au fait with technology as it no doubt believes itself to be.

Perhaps most damning of all, the survey also found that a modest 50 per cent of all 18 to 24-year-olds believe they will never fall for an online scam (compared with the national average of 37 per cent). The phrase ‘lambs to the slaughter’ springs to mind.

As we’ve covered elsewhere (see main story on page 8), it’s those very same social-media apps that are threatening to undermine the security of our nation’s youth.

“The likes of Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin and other online platforms are much more than just social media sites - they are now a hunting ground for identity thieves,” says Simon Dukes, Cifas’ CEO. “We are urging people to check their privacy settings today and think twice about what they share. Social media is fantastic, and the way we live our lives online gives us huge opportunities. Taking a few simple steps will help us to enjoy the benefits while reducing the risks. To a fraudster, the information we put online is a goldmine.”

Let’s take Facebook as an example. The social media site encourages us to record every detail about our lives. Details of who we’re with, where we are, what we’ve bought and more are there for anyone to see, and the more a criminal knows, the easier it is for them to clone your identity. Watch Cifas’ ‘Data to Go’ video to see how it was able set up a coffee shop that served a slice of identity fraud with every latte: www.snipca.com/21115.

Unlike our complacent youth, you can easily make sure you’re safe when you post

A modest 50 per cent of all 18 to 24-year-olds believe they will never fall for an online scam