Can someone re-assure me?

[Kpnuts]

This is going to sound a bit lame, but I've been using a username on ebay, that has the month and year of my birth in it.

That's ok right? I shouldn't be worried about identity theft and all that?

my username is 2 initials of my name followed by 0785.

Hopefully I'm worrying over nothing?

 

[Luckyflux]

I'd change it, better to be safe than sorry

 

[Canadave]

I wouldn't worry, unless that's also your PIN or something like that.

There are doubtless millions of people who were born in July 1985, so you're not really giving away very much.

 

[Aragorn]

It doesn't have the day, so you should be fine. You aren't giving anything away, but it's still out there. Someone could use it as one piece of many to put together to do some damage, but he'd have to know it was your birthdate to begin with.

 

[trampledamage]

It doesn't have the day, so you should be fine. You aren't giving anything away, but it's still out there. Someone could use it as one piece of many to put together to do some damage, but he'd have to know it was your birthdate to begin with.

Yeah, I think it's a situation where for that amount of information to cause you harm, the person must have been consolidating information about you from many sources - and if they're going to that much trouble, your e-bay username is the least of your worries.

 

[RandyS]

I'd change it, better to be safe than sorry

I agree with this, but I also think you should be fine, as long as you are careful not to put too much personal information into a username.

 

[Aurian]

I also think you should change it. Better to have something random or completely anonymous.

 

[RoJoHen]

I would leave it and hope that someone cracks your code and decides to send you a birthday present!

 

[CorporalClegg]

Well for one thing, anyone who was going to go through the trouble of stealing your identity probably has easy access to your birthday, anyway.

It is still, sad to say, the most common used password. But as long as you don't use it, one's date of birth is pretty irrelevant in the grand scheme of things. It's not like your SSN.

As long as you have a strong Password (as you should anyway), it really shouldn't matter.

 

[Kpnuts]

Given that the site is eBay, my full name and address is visible to buyers/sellers.

Then again, I don't tend to sell a huge amount on eBay, I use it more for buying... so I'd have to stumble on a dodgy person looking to put my name, address and month/year of my birth together for shady doings.

Argh, what to do...

Annoyingly I also have to wait a month before I can change it.

 

[Aragorn]

I thought the most common password was "password."

 

[The Boy Who Cried Worf]

Oh come on! Your birthday is in July. You posted this in July. I think a birthday boy wants some love. Okay here goes.

Happy Birthday To You!
Happy Birthday To You!
Happy Birthday Dear kpnuts!
Happy Birthday To You!

 

[RJDiogenes]

I don't think there's anything to worry about; but if you're feeling anxious, just go ahead and change it.

 

[Geckothan]

I give out my personal information pretty freely on the internet and nothing has happened to me. The threat of "identity theft" is a bit overblown. If people steal your credit card, passport or drivers licence, then I'd be worried but since when is it a big deal giving out your date of birth or phone number or home address? People can find these things out without you having to give them away, it's not much of a risk unless you give them out to someone who has a vendetta on you