People who use the same password for online accounts are more at risk from online fraud or identity theft, a new survey by computer security firm McAfee, has revealed.

The survey revealed that as many as 16 per cent of people used the same password for online accounts, while a whopping 41 per cent never changed their passwords.

Obvious passwords put nearly one in five computer users at risk from online fraud or identity theft, the survey said.

The survey comes amid warnings from security experts that the popularity of social networking sites such as Facebook is making life easier for online criminals.

Most users post personal details commonly used as passwords on their pages, such as their educational history, names of pets and favourite football team, common sources for a password.

Mathew Bevan, a former hacker, said the survey is worrying, as it proves how slack people really are.