As we mentioned earlier, Twitter is where everyone seems to be these days.
Until recently, identity theft on the popular microblogging site seemed to be limited to pranksters impersonating celebrities, the most famous being a fake Tina Fey who, according to rumour, even got a laugh out of Tina Fey herself.
Today, though, it appears the non-famous among us are the targets of the latest identity theft scam — and the consequences are not exactly funny. (here, and here)
Because many of us run out of things to tweet about, even in 140 characters or less, we sometimes take part in games and trends. Among the latest were several variants on the “porn star name game,” where you form a fictional, adult-movie screen name for yourself by combining different names from your past, such as your mother’s maiden name, the name of your first pet, the name of the street where you grew up …
Wait a minute. Each of those names is often used as a security question when accessing online email services, using online banking sites, or even when speaking to your bank on the phone. Is it any wonder that phishers encouraged everyone on Twitter to take part in the fun?
Maybe the hilarity of introducing yourself as “Sasha Johnson Mount Royal” to the entire online world isn’t worth the chuckle after all.