Stranger Danger: Why Haven't the Privacy Lessons We Learned as Kids Translated to Facebook?

As children, we are talk to be wary of giving out our name, phone number or address to strangers, yet suddenly we are sharing that same information with millions of strangers on Facebook. And that need to share our personal information with complete strangers is costing us.
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HAMBURG, GERMANY - DECEMBER 28: A participant holds his laptop in front of an illuminated wall at the annual Chaos Computer Club (CCC) computer hackers' congress, called 29C3, on December 28, 2012 in Hamburg, Germany. The 29th Chaos Communication Congress (29C3) attracts hundreds of participants worldwide annually to engage in workshops and lectures discussing the role of technology in society and its future. (Photo by Patrick Lux/Getty Images)
HAMBURG, GERMANY - DECEMBER 28: A participant holds his laptop in front of an illuminated wall at the annual Chaos Computer Club (CCC) computer hackers' congress, called 29C3, on December 28, 2012 in Hamburg, Germany. The 29th Chaos Communication Congress (29C3) attracts hundreds of participants worldwide annually to engage in workshops and lectures discussing the role of technology in society and its future. (Photo by Patrick Lux/Getty Images)

Sharing our personal information online has become somewhat of an addiction since the invention of social media sites. As children, we are talk to be wary of giving out our name, phone number or address to strangers, yet suddenly we are sharing that same information with millions of strangers on Facebook. And that need to share our personal information with complete strangers is costing us.

In 2012, the Federal Trade Commission received 2 million consumer complaints, a historically high number that consisted of more than 360,000 identity theft complaints. Identity thieves only need a few key pieces of your personal information to steal your identity. Limiting the information you include on your profile or setting your information to private may seem pointless or a waste of time, but these simple actions can help prevent identity theft. Check out the graphic below to find out how identity thieves hack social media profiles, learn about which information you should or shouldn't share on Facebook and other tips for identity theft protection.

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