Chances are good you share a PIN with your neighbor

WASHINGTON – No wonder thieves easily guess some PIN numbers and passwords — many people choose numbers that are awfully easy to guess.

The Virginia Department of Corrections recently advised its staff about exercising care when choosing PINs and passwords. The department pointed to findings from Data Genetics that found out of 3.4 million PINs, 11 percent are 1234.

Another very popular pin number is 2580. A quick check of that combination and experts say it’s easy to see why: The combo lines up as the numbers down the middle row of buttons on an ATM or phone.

The three most common PINs, according to Data Genetics, are 1234, 1111 and 0000. Another popular one: 7777.

WTOP’s Dick Uliano contributed to this report. Follow @WTOP on Twitter.

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