Identity theft : Nine out of 10 consumers fear online offence

Nine out of 10 consumers in Ireland fear identity theft but over half would give away their personal information in return for discount vouchers, a survey suggests.

The research carried out for media buying agency Mediavest found 40 per cent of people were happy to share their address, but just 7 per cent were happy to share their PPS number.

The company said it seemed Irish consumers were “increasingly cautious” when it came to giving out their personal data to a company online, with 85 per cent purposely minimising what data they chose to give out.

It also found, however, that just 15 per cent of people read terms and conditions.

Some 43 per cent of the 1,000 consumers surveyed said they had also changed their online habits due to fear.

“This fear is warranted by the fact that over one-fifth (22 per cent) of consumers have been affected by someone misusing or stealing their data,” the firm said.

Seven out of 10 of those surveyed said that they were either 'a lot' or 'a little' more conscious of their attitude towards privacy since the Edward Snowden and more recent hacking scandals.

A total of 61 per cent of consumers surveyed said they were aware of their rights, but they were ‘not quite sure’ what these privacy rights were.

When asked if they were worried that an image they post online could be shared by anyone, 29 per cent said they ‘always’ worried about it getting into the wrong hands.

Mediavest said the survey suggested people were open to sharing some of their personal data when there was “a clear benefit to them for doing so”.

A total of 52 per cent of those surveyed admitted that the opportunity to avail of a relevant discount or voucher, particularly through an established brand loyalty scheme, would be a real incentive for them to share personal data.

Ignite Research conducted the survey of 1,000 people last week and said it was a nationally representative sample of consumers in the Republic.

A Eurobarometer survey on consumer awareness of data protection and privacy rights published by the European Commission in June found 56 per cent of consumers in Ireland feared becoming a victim of fraud online. This was higher than the 50 per cent average across 28 member states.

Some 38 per cent feared their online identity being used for fraudulent purposes, 27 per cent feared their information being used without their knowledge and 34 per cent feared their information being stolen.