REXBURG - Many people in Eastern Idaho love spending time researching their family history. But security experts are saying that posting your family information on the internet could result in identity theft.

In Rexburg, the LDS Family history center stays pretty busy. Every day, Mormons and non-Mormons come to research their ancestors and find out more about their families past.

"There's so many people doing family history," says Family History Center Volunteer Florence Bowman. "It's quite often that we might have every computer busy."

Security experts are warning those who do family history to be careful about what they post on the internet.

"It's very dangerous to put your pictures and information over the internet," says Rexburg Police Captain Randy Lewis.

Authorities warn that family trees and pedigree charts can give personal information to criminals. For example, a lot of people use their mother's maiden name as a password but with a few clicks, thieves can find the name and hack into your bank or other accounts.

"They have names, they have faces, fake identification cards, anything that's on the internet...it's on their permanently," says Lewis.

Although the information may be online, the LDS church and local genealogists are careful about what they post.

"In most cases what the church does...if they put your name on that's all you will get. They don't put birth dates and that type of thing," says Bowman.

That is one of the best safety tips...start with your name and ask people to get in touch with you if they want more information.

"Being contacted by email, I think, would be safer than posting your telephone number," says Family History Center Worker Barbara Bowman.

Also, choose passwords that aren't associated with your family and can't be found anywhere online.

"A mother's maiden name as a password...they could find that out easy so I think if you have good security questions that doesn't come into play," says family history fan Jade Lewis.

Criminals also frequently check birth announcements, wedding registries, and obituaries for information that could be useful.

Those announcements let thieves know that a person may be going through an emotional time and not notice new debts on their bank accounts.