Key Safety Tips:
Never reveal any pertinent information about yourself, such as exact location, full name, social security number, telephone number, etc. The most important rule when exploring chat rooms though is to never agree to meet someone outside of the chat room. By revealing any of this information you are putting yourself at risk to be stalked and possibly have your identity stolen by a hacker.
Identity Theft in Chat Rooms:
Chat rooms can be havens for hackers, looking for vulnerable users with information to lose. This type of fraud known as identity theft is becoming more common. Hackers prey on users, getting any information they can (social security, address, telephone number) and they in turn go to a Hacker chat room, using an internet relay chat that allows more anonymity, and try to sell the information. Many naive computer users have lost credit cards through this type of communication.
Identity theft and this form of fraud are extremely hard to detect and track. The internet provides such a vast world to look out for that is impossible for the FBI or CIA to watch over every user. That is why it is so important to be careful what you reveal about yourself online.
