● Covered by 1 source · 1 reportLow impact1 neutral
Cybersecurity Experts Advise Withholding Birthdates from Online Forms to Prevent Scams
Key points
- Dates of birth are frequently collected by online retailers and loyalty schemes.
- Compromised birthdates are used by scammers for identity fraud and phishing.
- Experts recommend using fake birthdates or withholding them online.
- Retailers collect birthdates for marketing purposes, creating a data risk.
The Risk of Sharing Birthdates Online
Cybersecurity experts are cautioning individuals about the practice of providing their date of birth (DOB) when signing up for online accounts. This information, often collected by retailers, loyalty programs, and newsletters, can be exposed in data breaches. When combined with other personal details, a DOB becomes a valuable piece of information for criminals attempting to commit identity fraud or execute sophisticated phishing scams.
How Scammers Utilize Birthdate Information
Scammers use compromised dates of birth to build more credible profiles of their targets. This allows them to impersonate banks or other legitimate entities more convincingly, as they can recite personal details to gain trust. Jake Moore, an adviser for ESET, notes that while a DOB alone has limited value, its combination with names and phone numbers significantly aids in identity fraud. Alexandre François of WhoisXML API found that many retailers still request DOBs, often for marketing purposes, despite the security risks.
Impact of Data Breaches
When a retailer's data is breached, and details like DOBs appear on the dark web, this information can be used to craft more authentic-looking phishing emails. Security expert Serpil Hall from Datos Insights explains that hackers can also use these details to trick company help desks into believing they are the legitimate account holder. This process often involves combining data from multiple breaches and public sources to create a comprehensive identity profile for fraudulent activities.
Recommendations for Online Users
To mitigate these risks, cybersecurity professionals advise users to resist entering their actual date of birth on online forms. Instead, they suggest either leaving the field blank if possible or providing a false date. This practice limits the amount of accurate personal data available online, making it more difficult for criminals to piece together personal profiles for malicious purposes.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
The daily brief
One email each morning: the day's tech stories, clustered across outlets and summarized. No account needed.
One email a day. Unsubscribe in one click, any time.
Today's brief
Spend a few minutes, get the whole day. Every topic's top stories in one hands-free rundown — listen, watch, or read the transcript.
▶ Play today's brief
New every morning, and the back catalogue is archived by date.
Reporting from
Cybersecurity professionals are advising individuals to avoid providing their actual birthdates when signing up for online services or to use false information. This recommendation comes as dates of birth, often collected by retailers and loyalty programs, are increasingly compromised in data breaches, allowing scammers to combine this data with other personal information to facilitate identity fraud and more convincing phishing attacks.