According to the New York State police,
All an identity thief needs is any combination of your Social Security number, birth date, address, and phone number.
while the UK ActionFraud police (in the Protect yourself tab) advise
Don’t throw out anything with your name, address or financial details without shredding it first.
If you receive an unsolicited email or phone call from what appears to be your bank or building society asking for your security details, never reveal your full password, login details or account numbers.
How true is the first claim? I have read that it is crucial to keep ones social security number secret, but how confidential must I make my date of birth? Presumably I need to expose my address and phone number for daily transactions.
As for the second claim, I often see bank account numbers freely given out. Is that risky?
What other information, such as
- passport number
- full name (including middle names)
- mother's maiden name
should be kept private?
Is it much worse to publicise, for example, a scan of my driving licence than just its number?