ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (WHAT THE TECH?) — Kids lie about their age to create accounts on Snapchat, TikTok, and other apps intended for people 13 and over.

Lying about your age is a good idea for adults but for a different reason.

When apps and new accounts ask for your birthdate, don’t tell the truth. Unless it’s a bank, credit card, dating app, or the government, there’s no reason to post your birthdate. And it’s one of the critical items hackers need to steal your identity.

Here’s a common scenario: a website or app you use gets hacked, and your data, including your name, email address, and birthdate, falls into the wrong hands. Armed with your birthdate, hackers can cross-reference your social media profiles to gather additional details about you and your family.

‘Mother’s Maiden Name’ is one of the most common security questions. If your mom includes her maiden name on Facebook, hackers can use it to gain access to your accounts. If the bad guy can’t get your birthdate, none of that other information is going to be worth as much, and they’ll move on to target someone else.

When you sign up for a new account that doesn’t need your birth date. Make yourself 5 or 10 years younger. Use the first or last day of the month you were born. It won’t prevent identity theft on its own, but it will make it harder for the bad guys to get you.

Lying about your age can be a problem and even illegal as it violates some dating apps’ terms of service. But if it’s an app or website that doesn’t really need your age go ahead. Make yourself 29 again.

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