Keep Parents Off Facebook: Sharenting Could Cost UK Students £670M In the Next Decade

Using social media requires taking extra safety measures, especially when talking about parents. Ever heard about sharenting? Sharenting derived from “sharing” and “parenting” is when parents share personal information about their children on social media. Experts believe sharenting is a high-risk behavior, threatening with online fraud and identity theft.

According to Barclays bank, too much online sharing might compromise students’ future financial security. By 2030, online fraud caused by sharenting could cost up to £670M a year. Social media makes the likelihood of online fraud more possible than ever. Many parents fail to realize that false sense of security induced by social media makes students easy targets.

Student Identity and Personal Information Theft

Despite parents are continuously being told that information on social media can be misused for identity theft, they keep breaking the rules. So, what information do parents reveal on social networks?

• Names, ages and dates of births in birthday messages
• Home addresses and place of birth
• Mother's maiden name
• Schools
• Pet names
• Supported sports teams
• Photographs

All of the above can be used for financial fraud, illicit credit card transactions, online shopping scam because it stays online forever.

7.4 million instances of identity theft by 2030 is another shocking figure shared by Barclays experts in terms of sharenting issue.

The bottom line is: parents should think before they post, and regularly check their social media accounts to prevent information leaks.