Too Paranoid?

[crokett]

I got a questionaire tonight from somebody I graduated high school with. They wanted to know stuff about me and the other members of my class. I didn't put my address, birthday or a couple other vitals. I'm sure the interest is benign but my thinking was I am not sure who will see this. So... too paranoid?

[JoeyGee]

10 years ago I would have laughed at you and told you to relax. I don't know if it's the times we live in, or living with SWMBO who is the most paranoid person you could ever meet, but now, I agree, it's better safe than sorry.

Logically, I know 99.457% of those types of requests are exactly what they appear to be and are safe, but the sad fact of our times is the other MINISCULE percent rules our actions.

[JoeyGee]

BTW, is that post #4000? I don't know whether to say congratulations, or get a life!

[p8ntblr]

It probably is safe. If an identity thief wanted your info there's not much you can do about it. There seem to be tons of websites, legit ones, that for like $50 will get you someone's social, birth date, mother's maiden, etc. Info a thief could use to totally steal your identity. I was listening to a radio a few days ago were a former (at least that's what he claims) identity thief was saying how easy it was to get this info.

[TheRic]

I've been on several class reunion committees. It's nice to have the info back so we can put together a book about everyone. Not everyone does fill in the info. Some hardly fill in anything, nothing to do with ID theft, at least not that I can tell.

I come from a small school / small community, graduated 65 people 25 years ago. There is very little that we asked that we couldn't find out if we really tried. Think about it, we already know your name (and maybe your maiden name), address, age, probably even mothers maiden name (at least in a few phone calls).

The worst question I remember being asked (we did as a joke, was mixed in with some other humorous questions) was asking for a credit card number. Had some interesting responses on that one (non valid, at least none looked valid)!

[scmhogg]

David--Even paranoics have real enemies.

Steve

[Warren]

Probably! If you have a bank account, ssn, military serial number, own property, pay taxes, own a registered vehicle, purchased any thing on time or credit, have a drivers license, got a ticket, been sued, attended school, have neighbors, magazine subscriptions, donate to any causes, belong to a political party, subscribe to a newspaper, etc, any one who wanted to could probably find out more about you than you know about yourself.

[crokett]

BTW, is that post #4000? I don't know whether to say congratulations, or get a life!

Well nothing much else I can do after the wife and kiddies go to bed.

And yeah, I have no illusions that the info is already out there, but why make it that much easier?

[cabinetman]

David

It may not have even been from a classmate. There are free searches that can find most anyone, and like Warren said, there is a lot of info.

Now if you were hiding in the woods, betcha I could find ya!

[Bruce Cohen]

Hey Cab.

Even SF guys can be found FIRST.

Did it all the time in SE Asia, if you get my drift.

Bruce

[Warren]

David, what's so hard about sitting down in front of the computer with a beer and looking for info? A lot of people get paid good money to do it. We are sitting around our computers making no money while someone else, doing the same thing is earning a living.

[Ed62]

There are some pretty sophisticated schemes out there now. I heard that identity theft is now the number 1 crime in the U.S., surpassing drug dealing. But it sounds like a class reunion is coming up, and you'd probably be pretty safe there.

Ed