Social Media: Report Shows Spike in Identity Fraud

Latest report indicate that 85% of adults globally want to do more to protect their online privacy, which is a key concern in 2025 amidst rising cybercrime and the rapid development of AI technology.

However, with 5.24 billion of the world’s population using social media, online privacy has never been more at risk.

In light of this, AI prompt experts AIPRM have revealed key risks associated with oversharing on social media, from putting your privacy at risk, to damaging your personal and professional reputation.

They also offer practical tips on how to keep yourself safe online and protect your digital footprint, with expert commentary from Christoph C. Cemper, founder of AIPRM.

Five dangers of oversharing on social media

1. Identity theft 

A new fraud report has revealed that 421,000 cases of fraud were filed to the National Fraud Database (NFD) in 2024, the highest number on record, and identity fraud remains dominant as criminals favour impersonation tactics.

Concerningly, social media pages and accounts host a gold mine of personal information for criminals such as names, date of birth, home location, places of work, and even the details of our family and friends.

If criminals access this information, you can become susceptible to identity theft, as the fraudsters can use your personal details to impersonate you and gain access into your accounts, or even create new accounts in your name, such as bank accounts. In some cases, they may even manipulate your family and friends into sharing their data through identity theft.

Christoph C. Cemper advises:

“The host of readily available personal information on social media has made it even easier for criminals to carry out identity theft, and with the rise of AI’s capabilities, this is even quicker to do. By combining real data with fabricated details, AI can be used to generate realistic IDs, official documents, or utility bills. This makes identity theft much harder to detect. That’s why it’s crucial to think carefully about what you share online – not just to protect your own privacy, but also the security of your family and friends, who could be targeted by a fake version of you.”

2. Social Engineering and Financial Scams

Social engineering often involves attackers creating fraudulent social media profiles and using these to impersonate a trusted or legitimate individual or organisation.

Through this, they can psychologically manipulate victims into sharing information or clicking on links that are unsafe and contain malware or scams.

If scammers gain a user’s trust, they can then gain access to personal information, or even cause significant financial losses and personal data breaches.

Christoph C. Cemper states:

“It is vital to be wary of who you follow and interact with on social media. With deepfakes and AI becoming more prevalent and advanced, it is hard to tell if you are talking to a legitimate person or an attacker. Always be cautious when engaging with people on social media, and if they claim to be someone you know, be sure to ask them personal questions that only they would know the answer to.”

3. Deepfakes and Voice Cloning

Scammers need just three seconds of audio to clone a person’s voice, and with so many videos available on social media, it is becoming even easier for criminals to generate voice clones. Similarly, the wide array of selfies on social media has fuelled AI- powered scams.

From just a single image of your face, fraudsters can use AI to create a full photo, complete with a natural looking background and other aspects that appear authentic.

“Deepfakes are becoming widespread, and with our voices and images often available on social media, millions are at risk of becoming victims. To protect yourself, make sure that those you follow on social media and allow to view your content are people you know and trust. Having a publicly open profile increases your risk of being targeted. If you think you have been a victim of a deepfake, contact your local fraud centre as soon as possible to report it.”

4. Reputation damage

Oversharing on social media also carries the risk of personal or professional reputation damage. Engaging with the wrong things on social media can create a negative image of the user.

Not only are there risks in sharing inappropriate posts, or negative comments, there are also risks associated with interacting with or sharing  fake news which circulates rapidly on social media, spreading much quicker than real news.

“Malicious actors can spread misinformation and disinformation, which is notoriously hard to spot online.  Many people have fallen into the trap of engaging with this content, whether it be an AI generated image, or a fake article. Always fact check any news or sources you see on social media via trusted and reputable  sites, as unverified online information could be fake, and may even include fraudulent links.”

5. Dangers of oversharing about your child

Often known as ‘sharenting’, it is becoming increasingly common for parents to share information on their children via social media. However, there are dangers involved in this, as it instantly creates a digital footprint for your child, which can be used by criminals for harmful purposes.

For example, geotagging an image of your child can reveal the local area in which they may live or places they go to regularly.

Sharing their name, age, and photos can expose them to identity theft, allowing criminals to utilise their name to open fake accounts. There are also inherent social media dangers of potential cyberbullying and harassment.

Christoph C. Cemper advises parents to be vigilant:

“Cyber crime is rising rapidly, and exposing your child’s details online could see them fall victim to fraud or other crimes. If you want to share images or details on your child’s activities, it is always best to do this in private group chats with people you trust. I would always advise avoiding sharing this information on social media, due to the risks involved. If you do share information about your child via social media, ensure this is to a small, trustworthy following, and is not publicly available. Be sure to limit the information that you share about them and their whereabouts.”

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