Is there a website where anyone can get your mother's maiden name if they have your date of birth?

Question

I heard on the news last week that there was a website that people could go on where they could get your mother's maiden name if they had your name and date of birth. What website is this and how is it allowed to do this? This is worrying me slightly as I work in a small office where everyone knows everyones name and when they were born. This means anyone could open an account in your name!

Answer 1

Its possible. With the way the world is run now, documentation for everything and internet access to anything...

If someone wants to try hard enough, they can get just about any non-classified information there is about someone (and classified is only so strong these days).

The trick with something like this is to use good security techniques for things. NEVER use something as a password or security question that can be found so easily. Mother's maiden name, marriage date, children's birthdate(s), their all too obvious. If someone smart is trying to do something to you, they'll go for things like that first.

Can people do things to you anyway? Yes. The trick is to make it so hard that no one would want to bother. Also, most of us don't have anything worthwhile to mess with, so we don't have to worry that much.

Answer 2

I don't subscribe to Ancestry UK, but if it is as good as people say it is, it will have the same information as the Family Record Centre in London. The birth indexes there show the name, year, and quarter of the year the birth was registered, AND the mother's maiden name. This is invaluable to anyone researching family history. Anyone can purchase a birth certificate on this info, although in the past, I have had to give a reason for so ordering. Don't know if there is a time limit on that, where people could reasonably be expected to be alive.

Answer 3

I would imagine if they wanted to open an account in your name they will do it regardless of knowing your Mothers maiden name.. A lot of people say they do not want to use the maiden name and use a pets name or something.. there are always ways around everything.. but I suppose if you knew how to hack into the hall of records you could get most any info that you wanted on any one.. If you open any other accounts you might try not using your Mothers maiden name..

Answer 4

this is why you don't put these details on sites like bebo and other things like it

watched a guy open a bank account in 20 Min's , maybe on the same prog you heard about , all he had was the guys name and date of birth , and within 20 Min's was getting a bank account and credit cards in his name

all the best
Ian

Answer 5

That's why it's a good idea to give a different name other than your mother's maiden name for security questions (obviously one you will remember!!)

Answer 6

Any geaneology website will have this info for people tracing their family tree.With your name and DOB they can access your birth certificate with your parents details and then with these they can get to their wedding certificate and so on down the generations of a family.