Parents like the Beckhams who engage in 'sharenting' and post images of their children on social media could be exposing them to identity theft, experts warn

'Sharenting' is an online trend where parents post pictures of their children  

Images at birthday parties and in school uniform reveals personal details 

This information could be used by fraudsters later on in life 

Personal details revealed by parents could allow criminals to hack bank accounts, decode passwords and take out loans in their name

The online trend of 'sharenting' could be putting children at risk of identity theft later on in life, according to Barclays bank. 

Parents such as the Beckhams who are prone to parading their children on Facebook and Instagram are providing valuable insight into the life of the youngster which fraudsters could exploit. 

Pictures of children at birthday parties or on their first day of school provide personal details which could be manipulated by a criminal, researchers have warned.

This information could then be used to take out a credit card or bank loan in the child's name when they come of age. 

The online trend of 'sharenting' could be putting children at risk of identity theft later on in life. Parents prone to parading their children on Facebook and Instagram, such as the Beckham's, are providing valuable insight into the life of the youngster, which fraudsters could exploit

Barclay's bank predicts that by 2030 the penchant for 'sharenting' will be the reason behind two thirds of online identity theft against young people. 

The high-street bank predicts that this could cost in the realm of £676 million ($905 million) a year. 

The survey, which involved 2,002 parents with children under the age of 18, found that three out of four shared pictures of their children that included personal information.

Thirty per cent of parents also confessed to having a password that included names  or birth dates of family members - and ten per cent of people use their child's

Over a third (34 per cent) said they had experienced a family member or friend posting a picture of their child online without their permission.

Jodie Gilbert, Barclay's head of digital safety, said: 'Careless online behaviour and insufficient privacy settings can reveal key details, so think before you post and carry out regular audits of your social media accounts.'  

The fear is that proud parents could be unintentionally endangering their offspring with their oversharing by accidentally revealing information.

For example, an innocent first day of term snap could be used to circumnavigate a security question regarding the name of the first school needed to access a person's bank account.

Some celebrities are advocates of sharenting, with Jamie and Jools Oliver known to share family snaps. A survey found that three out of four shared pictures that included personal information

An image of toddler playing with the family dog could be manipulated to answer a security question about the name of a person's first pet. 

The online portfolio of likes and posts can also disclose information regarding favourite sports teams and interests, which can be used to hack passwords. 

Some celebrities are advocates of sharenting, with the Beckham's and Jamie Oliver known to share family snaps. 

Victoria Beckham often shares pictures of her four children, and Jamie Oliver, one of Britain's most prominent celebrity chefs, has posted pictures to social media of his five children on holiday.

Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish, proud fathers of two young boys, gave fans a rare glimpse into their personal life when they shared a picture of their sons on their first day of school. It is this limited exposure approach that is recommended by experts


John Terry, ex-England and Chelsea captain,also shared his children on their way to school.He decided not to obscure their faces and also revealed the school badge on his children's uniform (pictured)

Sir Elton John and his husband David Furnish, proud fathers of two young boys, gave fans a rare glimpse into their personal life as they shared a picture of their sons on their first day of school. 

However, in the picture, the faces of the children were obscured and the school badge was indistinguishable.

John Terry, ex-England and Chelsea captain, was less prudent and showed an image with the school badge on his children's uniform.

Researchers recommend parents take the approach of Sir Elton and limit the information in the public domain in order to protect children in late life.

HOW CAN PARENTS PROTECT THEIR CHILDREN ONLINE?  

A recent study found when sharing parenting advice on social media, common topics included:

• Getting kids to sleep (28 per cent)
• Nutrition and eating tips (26 per cent)
• Discipline (19 per cent)
• Daycare/preschool (17 per cent)
• Behaviour problems (13 per cent) 

These common topics of conversation often reveal key information about a child, including: name, age/date of birth, school name and even their appearance.

Whilst it may be very difficult to protect the privacy of children in the digital age, there are some things that can be done to shelter children from online dangers. 

Know your privacy settings

It is amazing how many parents leave on their Instagram location settings. Set your location settings to off if you do not want people to be able to figure out where you and your children live.

Only share with people who care

Ask yourself if all the people you're sharing your photos with really want to see them and will they protect them in a way you would.

Explore private social networks

Private social networks offer a secure way to share the pictures of your children with your family and friends.

Don't take any digital photos

Ultimately the only way to be 100 per cent sure that you don't have a digital footprint is not to have any digital photos taken but this isn't a road the vast majority of people want to go down.