Identity thieves could steal your fingerprints off selfie pictures

Identity thieves have a new target, your selfie pictures on social media.

Advances in camera resolution and biometric software mean that hackers can lift your fingerprints right off your pictures.  Researchers at Japan's

say that pictures taken from as far way as 10 feet can be good enough for hackers to steal your identity without using advanced technology.

The pictures just have to be in focus and reasonably well lit.  The best results came from pictures of people making peace signs.

The researchers say that unlike passwords, once someone's biometric data has been stolen, it can put that person's identity and user accounts as risk for the rest of their lifetime.

Cox Media Group