Social media app icons on smartphone
While sharing photos, videos and updates on social media isn’t a new trend, those being able to use your shared information for identity theft and fraud have risen. Being careful about the kinds of information you share can save you trouble down the line.

Roughly 92% of teenagers post their real names, 82% list their dates of birth, and 71% show their city of residence on their profiles, according to a Pew Research Center study. While much of that information may seem innocuous, there are a few things you should never share, according to Credit.com.

Driver’s License or Personal ID Details
The excitement of getting a driver’s license, whether it’s your first or you got a new one in a new state, leads some to post a pic of the full ID. Identity thieves can use the information they can see – like your date of birth, picture, license number, and other personal information.

Sharing your date of birth, Social Security Number and too many personal details open you up for fraud, so keep that information as private as possible and never share it on unsecured sites like social media.

Your Location
Burglars troll social media sites just looking for people to share information about their vacations, or even use geo-tagging to take the opportunity to rob your house. If they see you’ll be gone for a few hours, or even days, they could see that as a chance to break in and steal from you. Don’t share your location, especially if your address is public record.

Bank Information
It may seem obvious, but don’t post about your bank account info. CNN reported that in 2014 a huge identity theft ring was caught looking for bank information by people who posted their paycheck with the hashtag #myfirstpaycheck. Don’t post pictures of checks, regardless of how excited you may be, since it’s not difficult for thieves to then forge checks with your account. Pictures of your credit or debit cards should also never be posted anywhere.

To protect your identity while still staying social on websites include making your profiles as private as possible to only your friends – and that includes on your mobile device since most younger people post while on their smartphones or tablets.