Share your thoughts on identity related topics - chance to win £250! NOW CLOSED

[AnnMumsnet]

The internet has provided us with many wonderful opportunities. We can discover and learn, meet potential partners, we can buy and sell things to other people, turn to peers for advice, book holidays, read our favourite magazines, manage our finances, and so on. Unfortunately the systems and tools we use to make our lives easier are easily misused by people with the wrong intentions. We read headlines of dating scams, online fraud, people creating fake profiles, and children accessing age restricted content.

We can use our phones to make payments from our bank accounts, but not prove who we are. We still have to photocopy and email our passports to prove our identities to get things done like rent a flat, which simply doesn’t make sense. The list goes on and on…

Mumsnet partner, Yoti, have created a secure ID app which helps people prove their identity, online and in person - and are on a mission to fix the identity related issues that aren't right and don’t make sense. If you’d like to read more about how they secure your data and plan to make proving your identity simpler, faster and safer, please visit www.yoti.com.

Yoti would like to hear your views on some identity related topics - have a look at them below - and if your answer is defined by aspects such as past experience, the age of your children or your work then please add that into your post. Of course, there's no right or wrong answers and all views are welcome.

Example Topics:

• Age restricted content is open to anyone online (for example anyone - whatever their age can access all sorts of content with no restrictions)
• Online personas can't be trusted (for example - it's easy to pose as someone older or younger when interacting with other people online)
• Cost of fraud is more than the NHS budget (£144bn more money is lost each year to online fraud in the UK than spent on the NHS)
• We need to show numerous paper documents (e.g. a utility bill and two different types of ID document) just to access a new service

Add your comment and you will be entered into a prize draw where one winner will get a £250 John Lewis voucher

thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

Standard Insight T&Cs apply

We've had our identity stolen before and afterwards were told it's pretty easy to do. Realistically if I know your name, d.o.b, and address I can probably steal your identity or at the very least set up a credit account in your name.

The problem is I think, companies are under pressure because people want everything instantly (contactless payments, instant loan decisions) so companies are stuck between trying to make things easier for customers but not for fraudsters.

I try really hard to make sure that I do not just reveal all my information online. When it comes to having to show ID for everything it gets on my nerves a little bit. I do understand and appreciate that it is done to try and prevent fraud but it is obviously not working properly. Why can't companies such as banks and financial institutions have access to a database where they can access my photo ID online so that I am not always having to hunt it out to show them. Surely that would be easier and would definitely cut down on the risk of identity fraud.

Age restricted content is open to anyone online - my niece goes on Facebook and other sites she isn't old enough for as has realised you can just put a fake dob. It's worrying what you might expose yourself to

Online personas can't be trusted - firstly facebook is full of kids and probably weirdos who know this. Also I watch catfish and what happens online is just odd

Cost of fraud is more than the NHS budget - I get tonnes of dodgy emails that look real and I can't imagine how many people click on them

We need to show numerous paper documents (e.g. a utility bill and two different types of ID document) just to access a new service - yes, and it bothers me when people take copies because I don't know how secure they are. My job took years worth of bank accounts and everything via a (useless) third party and they basically had everything to pay for cards etc which made me really uncomfortable

Additionally I hate it when the bank rings as personally I always think they come over as dodgy. I never talk and ring back but they need to find a better way to communicate

I use to work for a well known phone broadband and tv provider. When I started I had to prove that I was British and had to supply all sorts of I.d. Even to the point where they had taken copies of my passport but then they needed it back to take a copy of the front cover which gave me a 250 mile round trip to do as they wouldn't except a emailed copy.

Then a few months later they took on a guy from India only to find out 8 months later he was working in this country illegally coming into the country 7 years earlier on a visitors visa and he was deported.

Just hipocritical maybe they were scared to upset a immigrant but if your British we can be treated like shit.

I find it really difficult producing the paper documents these days. I use the internet a lot, so I don't need paper bills or bank statements. But I end up getting them just for those occasions when you need proof of address.
Which is very wasteful - e.g. I get several monthly paper mail bills from my bank, just so that every couple of years I can produce a recent bank statement on paper.

I'm fairly suspicious of online personas so I don't think I'm very susceptible to that sort of online scam.

concerned about the age thing. The screen will ask "are you over 18" etc, and all I do is to a box. My daughter opened a facebook account at the age of 8 for our cat, and there was nothing to stop her

Are you willing to answer any of the questions that you failed to answer last time? <a class="break-all" href="https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:uhOIYZ8c0S8J:www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_product_tests/2970077-Fancy-putting-Yoti-a-free-digital-identity-app-to-the-test-iPad-to-be-won-for-feedback+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:uhOIYZ8c0S8J:www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mumsnet_product_tests/2970077-Fancy-putting-Yoti-a-free-digital-identity-app-to-the-test-iPad-to-be-won-for-feedback+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk

I was suprised to find out my children were able to open social media accounts so easily just by knocking a few years off their dob.
I find some entertainment websites require more information to sign up to than some money related apps and websites

People on social media make fake accounts to make you believe they are your real friends then steal your details by asking you common security questions on chat.

People trolling on websites is tricky.

I always ensure my paper bills/credit card and bank statements are cross shredded, I am so cautious about identity theft. There are too many stories of educated people falling foul of identity theft. I have had several phishing emails, my advise with an email (from PayPal for example) asking for details on a transaction and wanting you to click on a link to log it, never never never click on links. I would also never give any details over the phone if my 'bank' rang, I would always go into branch. There are so many people wanting to dishonestly steal all of your hard earned savings.

Communicating with others online is a real concern for me because anyone could pretend to be anyone they wanted and you'd never know. I am extremely cautious and I think I have taught my kids well. Actually I worry more about my parents' generation as they are much more likely to take online encounters at face value.

I'm really concerned about fake ID. I seem to receive scam type emails constantly which always look very genuine.I even hate and distrust contact less pay machines.

numerous paper documents just to access a new service

Some 18 months ago I was keen to get work through an agency - but they and several others refused to take me on their books because I did not have a current passport (cost at the the time was a prohibitive £70) Although the agency subsequently backed down when challenged by the Jobcentre, the reality is that anything other than the passport route is too much work for recruiters.

I'd like if the Yoti app could address this one small problem and get accepted by recruiters. However it works both ways, I'd need to trust that the recruiter would keep my details safe too. I would not be exchanging Yoti details other than in a professional situation.

btw, top tip is not to use your real date of birth.

Not sure how anyone can be protected in an age related way.

We're often asked for numerous pieces of ID but most things tend to be online nowadays and it's easy to get your hands on other people's information

Can anyone tell me where I can buy a harness for a Maclaren quest stroller that is EASY to undo. I bought it for when my grandchildren come. These pram harnesses are so awkward. My granddaughter had to climb into it so I could take her Out!!
I notice that there are 'D' rings underneath, so can I buy some good old fashioned reins to clip into these? I'm not a feeble old lady but I just can't seem to be able to press the centre and pull the end. Why do they make them so difficult?

I've nearly been caught by phishing scams before. They look so real!

Luckily i realised before i gave any info.

Then there was an email that was genuine but I'm so paranoid now I spent aaaages checking and double checking. Worth it though.

Online trolls are the worst. I think they must be very unhappy people to go out of their way to cause the hurt and damage that they do.

It's frightening with leaving you ID details online!..I was a victim of card fraud back last year, which wiped my bank account out & left me overdrawn!!!!..The stress it causes is unbelievable!..Social media is another place you have to be weary about, because not everone are who they say they are. Everything is getting worse.

Its all looks so easy - quite frightening to our generation - who is more used to a brick through a jeweler's window

The Banks are putting pressure on us to use internet Banking. After I had my Account hacked, I go and pay everything at the coubter. Nationwide really don't like it and tell me every time that I can go on line or use the A T M. They want us to do it ourselves, regardless of security, so they can cut costs. I really think on line Banking is not safe it's easier, it's faster and more convenient but it is not safe.

I don't think it's customers who want everything on line so.much, but the Banks. That way sooner or later there will be few High Street branches.we will all be doing it from home and I envisage many more hacked Accounts. At my Branch of Nationwide in Loughton customers are asked for personal data at the counter , this is really bad. Insist on writing down your replies to keep yourself safe.

I really dislike being constantly pestered to go paperless by my bank. Often it's an opt in thing and you could agree to go paperless by mistake. I don't want to do this as then proving identity and address can be difficult. I've also been asked if I want my bank to contact me by social media - FB etc - which I don't. This seems to go against their pledges to be very careful with customer identity.

I think a lot of kids are smart enough to know how to get on things they shouldn't and you cant watch them constantly.

I think in some circumstances the fact that the internet enables anonymity is brilliant - MN is a prime example of a space where people can discuss things that they never would if their identity was clear. Of course that also gives the potential for people to behave badly in ways they wouldn't if it was clear who they were - bullying or using abusive language for example.

The flip side of course is the need to prove identity for security for banks etc. I suspect that we'll always have to live with that tension, and take responsibility for what information we put out there.