A Warning to Y'all

[Petra]

Don't give out your phone number to people.

I have GuruNet installed on my machine, and it totally rules. But I noticed one of the daily tips - alt-click on any American phone number and you will get that person's name and address. From there, you can follow a link that will take you to public records, where for a small fee you can access all that person's records - current address, previous address, D.O.B, family, the lot. Even employment and criminal history, I think.

When I first saw the tip, my thoughts were simply "Rad! I wonder how that works" and I decided to test it.

So, I took a number of someone I knew in the States to see if the name and address would match up with what I had in my address book, and it did. At first I thought that was pretty cool. Until I followed the link to personal records and shit. Now I couldn't investigate that person any further - and I wouldn't wish to; I was merely curious as to what was "out there" - but had I wanted to, I could've paid a mere $7.99US and got all those extra details. That gave me the shivers.

So, my American friends - be careful who you give your phone number to.

[LadyShea]

I long ago resigned myself to the fact that anyone can find out anything about me. Public records are free if you have the time to spend tracking them down. Hell, go to Yahoo people search and put it any phone number and you get the published name and address.

I don't worry about it too much anymore...I have large dogs, a security gate, and a powerful handgun.

[Petra]

...I have large dogs, a security gate, and a powerful handgun.

Keep them all. :yup:


Aside from the obvious stalker danger and that kind of creepy thing, there is also the danger of identity theft.


How freaky that so much personal information is so readily available with just a few clicks.

[Zoot]

I find that reworking my entire DNA every few days keeps 'em guessing.

[Petra]

I find that reworking my entire DNA every few days keeps 'em guessing.

Wrong. Updates of records are speedy and continuous. You have already been assimilated. You can run, Zoot, but you cannot hide.

[LadyShea]

...I have large dogs, a security gate, and a powerful handgun.

Keep them all. :yup:


Aside from the obvious stalker danger and that kind of creepy thing, there is also the danger of identity theft.


How freaky that so much personal information is so readily available with just a few clicks.

When I was in high school, I kept my trunk key on a separate ring (old car with different keys for door/ignition/trunk and I was afraid of locking keys in the car). Anyway, I left them hanging out of the lock, and they fell out on the Interstate. So I get a call from some GUY who says he saw my keys fall out, memorized my plate number, and stopped and got them for me. The COLORADO DMfuckingV gave him my name, address and telephone number to return them. My fucking STATE gave the personal info about a teenager to some stranger.

[Petra]

Jesus, Brandi! I'd have grilled them over it. Why couldn't they simply take the keys from him and return them to you on his behalf. Scary. :eek:

[LadyShea]

Jesus, Brandi! I'd have grilled them over it. Why couldn't they simply take the keys from him and return them to you on his behalf. Scary. :eek:


My parents were fucking livid and mom did call the DMV. My dad and my brother and my boyfriend went to meet the guy to retrieve my keys and convey their appreciation.

[Petra]

My parents were fucking livid and mom did call the DMV. My dad and my brother and my boyfriend went to meet the guy to retrieve my keys and convey their appreciation.

Good move. Always send in th'boys. Fathers, brothers and boyfriends make wonderful stalker deterents.

[wildernesse]

Yeah, even my cell phone number is online for some reason. Woohoo!

[lady cop]

because sometimes we piss unsavory people off, we are allowed to use the sheriff office address on our driver's licenses and ID. but someone googled my name, and since my commission is public information , got my address and my son's name. i was quite unhappy over that, and had to promise to personally cap their ass if they came anywhere near my son.

[Dingfod]

Hmmm, I get nothing when I Google my home or cellphone numbers.


Gun toting women turn me on, but I'm not going to stalk them for sure.

[Petra]

because sometimes we piss unsavory people off, we are allowed to use the sheriff office address on our driver's licenses and ID. but someone googled my name, and since my commission is public information , got my address and my son's name. i was quite unhappy over that, and had to promise to personally cap their ass if they came anywhere near my son.

Over here, cops have confidential home numbers. My dad's details are not found on the net, even after retirement.


In the interests of full disclosure, it was livius' phone number that I used, as I could check the validity of the address as I have both her home phone number and address. (Livius, I hope you don't feel violated by my doing that :()



That is just not cool. In fact, it's beyond not cool - it's fucking dangerous.

Christ, as if I don't worry enough about some of you!

:worry:

[Petra]

Hmmm, I get nothing when I Google my home or cellphone numbers.



Google doesn't help you. But if you know where to look, it's all there, babe. Social security numbers and everything.

[Nex]

Google doesn't help you. But if you know where to look, it's all there, babe. Social security numbers and everything.
Well... that's scary as hell. :scared:

[dave_a]

Don't give out your phone number to people.


Hey Luna, is this you or is it identity theft???

luna? (http://www.netrelate.com/Lunachick/photos?PhotoID=148)

how bout this? luna??? (http://www.toyboxxx.com/products/173534.htm) (not work safe)

[lady cop]

Luna , you are sweet to worry, but please don't..most of our ilk can take care of business and ourselves. and anyone here can get unpublished px (phone number). but i did have my son's ID removed from county commissioner's site of public information. i am a public official, ok, bring it on, but my kid is NOT fair game. and Warrenly, of course you would never stalk anyone! it's the dirtbag that i arrested that mildly concerns me. if they are dumb enough to show up at my house...well, i don't dial 911.

[wildernesse]

Hmmm, I get nothing when I Google my home or cellphone numbers.



Google doesn't help you. But if you know where to look, it's all there, babe. Social security numbers and everything.


I was a little concerned when I read this, but seeing as I gave out my real SSN to a credit card company for two slices of pizza and a coke last month, I realized that I was being a little hypocritical (or something).

As a result of this thread, I spent a good chunk of my afternoon googling my family members. I found out that my dad and his phone number are on ESPN's website.

[WinAce]

Don't give out your phone number to people.

/me remembers that one conversation with Jess before he lost Internet access for a while...

Quiet, you. :P </Mr. Peabody spoof>

[viscousmemories]

I have an extremely common real name, the phone and all utilities are in the landlord's name, the cellphone is in my old bosses name, I don't own a car, I have no credit cards or bank account, and I've lived in 7 cities across 4 states and 2 countries in the last 8 years. Try to find some info about me. :P

[Skep]

vm,

I'll bet a psychic detective could easily determine all your personal information. They can even find dead people near lakes and trees. I saw it on Larry King Live, so it must be true.

[Dingfod]

Skeptoid, if psychics such as Sylvia Browne were the only way people could find out personal information I would feel safe as a can of Spam at a seder.

[Skep]

http://skeptech.net/emotipad/cache/LMAO.gif

[Dingfod]

I sent lunachick my home and cell numbers to see what she could find.

Nothing came up.That is because I don't exist. I am invincible... I mean invisible. :wink:

Joking aside, I have an unpublished number. Some phone companies differentiate between an unlisted number (i.e., not in the telephone book) and an unpublished number (i.e., not published electronically). I just know I pay a few dollars per month on my phone bill to keep it that way.

Between the unpublished number and being on the state's no-call list, the result is I get no telemarketing calls at all. Well, that's not quite true, I did get a few a month or so ago. I started to tell them I'm on the no-call list, but they hung up before I could finish getting the words out of my mouth. The reason they abruptly hung up: Oklahoma state law proscribes fines of $10,000 for every violation of the law prohibiting telemarketers calling any of the no-call list telephone numbers. Unfortunately, it isn't like Washington state where an individual can go after the telemarketer for $1500 per call in small claims court and attach a lien on company assets if they win their case and the company doesn't pay up, in Oklahoma, the state keeps the money.

[Petra]

I'm pretty sure that if I pay the money, I could access your details.

http://find.intelius.com/

https://find.intelius.com/purchase.php?SPID=&ReportType=33&records=&searchform=phone&Duration=&PHPSESSID=b21fcf2350167638b2dbdb75afa5f38f
(The number you might be able to read in this is a fictitious one.)


http://find.intelius.com/search-summary-out.php?ReportType=1&searchform=name&PHPSESSID=6c5db33dbd2cd3d22e4146b88174d290



I've also had another thought regarding this. That it is also a safety net. Say I fall in love with one of you chappies and you turn out to be a cad and a bounder? That you're not really single and 29 with no kids, and you have a couple of convictions for sex and violence offences you didn't tell me about, etc, I could find out without having to find out if ya know what I mean.

Guess it cuts both ways, eh. :chin:


Still smacks of looking through someone's knickers drawer without them knowing though. Kinda creepy feeling.

[viscousmemories]

Say I fall in love with one of you chappies and you turn out to be a cad and a bounder?
Impossible; fish can't type.

[Brimshack]

Don't give out your phone number to people.

I have GuruNet installed on my machine, and it totally rules. But I noticed one of the daily tips - alt-click on any American phone number and you will get that person's name and address. From there, you can follow a link that will take you to public records, where for a small fee you can access all that person's records - current address, previous address, D.O.B, family, the lot. Even employment and criminal history, I think.

When I first saw the tip, my thoughts were simply "Rad! I wonder how that works" and I decided to test it.

So, I took a number of someone I knew in the States to see if the name and address would match up with what I had in my address book, and it did. At first I thought that was pretty cool. Until I followed the link to personal records and shit. Now I couldn't investigate that person any further - and I wouldn't wish to; I was merely curious as to what was "out there" - but had I wanted to, I could've paid a mere $7.99US and got all those extra details. That gave me the shivers.

So, my American friends - be careful who you give your phone number to.

Oh baby, you don't have to go through all that. Just ask me anything you want to...


:wink:

[wade-w]

If someone wants to steal my identity, they are welcome to it. It definitely hasn't done me any good.

[Petra]

Oh baby, you don't have to go through all that. Just ask me anything you want to...


:wink:

You gave me your phone number once. I know your full name and address.

Be afraid. Be very afraid. :innocent:

[Petra]

If someone wants to steal my identity, they are welcome to it. It definitely hasn't done me any good.
:chuckle:

Ditto. :D

[pescifish]

Impossible; fish can't type.
:bfish: Escuse me?! :redfish:
...... :fishy: ......

[Petra]

Ok, so they can type but they can't spell.

I blame the schools.

[Goliath]

Ok, so they can type but they can't spell.

I blame the schools.

It's like I've been saying for eons: We need to revise the educational system at the fish level! Then, slowly, the changes will go through sharks, whales, and other sea life, and then, after a long time, will eventually come to land. After that, the educational changes will work their ways from invertebrates to reptiles and birds, to small mammals, and then finally to us.

Grass roots*, people!

* - And by "grass roots", I mean "seaweed roots". :wink:

[viscousmemories]

Impossible; fish can't type.
:bfish: Escuse me?! :redfish:
...... :fishy: ......
Cute. :yup:

[Dingfod]

I've also had another thought regarding this. That it is also a safety net. Say I fall in love with one of you chappies and you turn out to be a cad and a bounder? That you're not really single and 29 with no kids, and you have a couple of convictions for sex and violence offences you didn't tell me about, etc,... Is that what I've been telling you? Let me know, I've got to keep my story straight, looks better, you know.

[pescifish]

Ok, so they can type but they can't spell.

I blame the schools. :happy:

[viscousmemories]

Damn, that's two jokes in a row I suddenly get now. :doh:

[LadyShea]

Just for shits n giggles, I just went and put my maiden name into USSearch. Now, I haven't had my maiden name since 1991, and I haven't lived with my parents since 1988. The "preliminary search" showed 3 addresses in cities where my parents lived without me, 3 cities I have lived in under my married name, and 1 city I have never lived in though it's in Nevada. It also showed a fair number of other people with my same first name (and weird spelling), middle initial, and very rare last name (maiden)...unless they also think those were me with addresses in TN and GA. Interestingly, my married name brings up one address though I have moved all over with it.

I don't think I trust those "pay for info" things now.