Hollywood stars aren't safe from ID theft - Are you?

The news that Hollywood stars Ben Stiller and David Duchovny have fallen victim to a credit card scam has prompted fraud awareness website Scam Detectives to issue a warning about the dangers of posting too much information about yourself online.

"This case reinforces the dangers of identity theft" said Charles Conway, editor of the website. "If scammers can get enough information about these Hollywood celebs to get copies of their credit cards, how easy would it be to find out enough about you?"

You may think that shredding your personal documents is enough to protect you from Identity Theft. It isn't. The snippets of information that you give away on websites like Facebook, Myspace and Twitter can be used to build up a detailed picture of your life and give criminals all the information they need to steal your identity.

Details of our everyday lives are posted on the Internet without a second thought. Applications on social networking websites will reveal your birthday and your age to anyone who cares to take a look, and it's really easy to find out someone's home address and telephone number using directory enquiry services. A few minutes of digging on other freely available websites can reveal additional sensitive data often used as passwords or security questions such as:

First primary school
Place of birth
Pet's names
Children's names and dates of birth
Parent's names

Once you post this information online you lose control over who sees it and what they do with it.

If they can then find out who you bank with, it's a simple matter to give the bank a quick call, tell them you've lost your credit card and have it delivered to any location in the world. Posting a "status update" on Twitter or Facebook complaining about the latest mistake by HSBC or Santander can give the fraudster this last vital piece of the jigsaw.

Once the criminals have enough information, they can not only get replacement credit cards, but also apply for other loans, credit cards and hire purchase agreements, get passports, driving licenses and other official documents and apply for state benefits, all in your name. Not only could this destroy your credit rating and take years to sort out, it could also land you in hot water if you're unable to prove that you've been a victim of identity theft.

How to keep your identity safe

Use privacy controls on social networking websites like Facebook to limit who can see your profile and information

Don't talk about where you bank, what credit cards you use or any other financial institutions you have a relationship with

Be careful about discussing your life history. Don't talk about where you went to school, your children, your pets or where you were born.

Google your own name and check out what information is available about you. If you're uncomfortable about how much information is out there, edit your profiles on websites to remove personal details.

Don't advertise that you're going on holiday. Criminals have been known to target empty houses after finding out on Twitter that the occupants will be away.

Never click on links in emails that purport to be from your bank.

Don't throw away letters, bank statements or other documents without shredding them first. Your bin can be a great source of information for potential identity thieves.

Check your bank and credit card statements as soon as you receive them and report any suspicious transactions immediately

Check your credit history regularly and report any discrepancies straight away