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Parents left exposed by kids' online shopping sprees

Parents are at risk of falling victim to ID theft and financial fraud because their children are using their financial details online, exposing them to phishing attacks, the CPP has warned.

The firm, which specialises in card protection and ID protection against ID fraud, says this is because some of the websites in which the cards are used by the children may be insecure.

"As well as racking up bills, children are being exposed to areas of the internet where parents would not be comfortable with them going," says CPP fraud expert Michael Lynch.

"They are putting up credit card details and home address details on the internet which can be used by fraudsters, whether it’s through phishing attacks to either sell the data or commit fraud using their credit card details."

According to the October 2008 CCP report on online family fraud, 77 per cent of children use the internet unsupervised while some 23 per cent shop online without their parents' or guardians' permission.

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