Protecting your identity on social networking sites

Mother learns from her son's lack of judgment

BALTIMORE -- (07/16/08)-- When you update your profile on social networking sites such as Facebook, are you helping thieves empty your bank account or ruining your own credit?

A Baltimore teen learned the hard way about some of the new ways private information can be used against you online.

Lisa Lockwood knew about her 17-year old son's Facebook page, but she didn't know about the computer games that are featured on the site. Games he was downloading and playing.

She learned about them when she got a very disturbing phone call.   "I received a phone call from a Heritage Subaru-Volkswagen that, about my son's credit card application for a vehicle."

She says she told the caller that her son hadn't filled out any credit applications and that he was underage.

It turns out one of the games her son was playing offered extra points in exchange for filling out a car loan application -- an application that asked for a Social Security number.

He provided the highly personal information, filling out a total of seven loan applications; decisions he now finds so embarrassing, he didn't want to go on camera.

"My son has been kinda of upset about it. He was invited to play this game from some of his school friends.  I assume they have all done the same thing as well, and I think he is a bit embarrassed about it, that I caught him doing this," Lockwood said.

Facebook allows games to be downloaded from the Web site but they must first be approved and meet Facebook guidelines.  "Filling out credit applications is not a game.  You shouldn't be getting points for filling out a credit application. It's not for children," Lockwood said. "I'm very surprised Facebook has it out there, and I'd really like them to take it off. "

In a statement, Facebook told Good Morning America "the collection of personally identifiable information from Facebook users is strictly controlled and limited by our developer terms of service."

They are currently investigating this incident, Lockwood believes the games don't belong on Facebook in the first place, and fears her son could become a victim of identity theft through the remaining six loan applications still floating around in cyberspace.

"Parents need to talk to their kids and tell them not to give out personal information on the Internet.