Are you stupid enough to post personal info on a public forum like DU?

[Wonk]

In threads such as

"What are your parents names?"

"What's your sign?"

"What was your mother's maiden name?"

"Where do you live?"

"What's your favorite bank?"

"How old are you?"

"Where did you go to school?"

"Are you happy with your given name? What is it?"



Eventually followed up by your own thread, "Why am I a victim of identity theft?"

[Bethany Rockafella]

1. Some of those are not so personal if you're in a large city.

[Wonk]

8. Put em together and what have you got?

Bibbity bobbity boo!

Those were just some examples of "personal info trolling" threads I've seen here. There are other examples too, and you never know who may be lurking, harvesting, and compiling dossiers with bad intent.

[Placebo]

14. You're just too paranoid.

I didn't start my thread with "personal info trolling" in mind. Pssh.

Just like when you thought I was a fucking anti-semite? :eyes:

[Wonk]

16. Or perhaps you're simply naive, kid. nt

[HEyHEY]

18. No..you're paranoid

[Wonk]

19. Want me to give you a call?

You've posted so much personal info over time I bet I could find your phone number with only a few minutes work.

Frankly, though, I'm not interested in doing so tonight.

[HEyHEY]

23. I don't even have a phone number

And I'm not kidding.


I've neverposted anything besides my first name...and the city I live in...once I posted my last.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

38. Woe to anyone who tries to steal my identity.

My cedits so damned bad!

[HEyHEY]

2. You're not stupid for giving your name

and other stuff. Banking info... yes.

[laheina]

3. Other.

I pass by most of those threads, but sometimes I'll post a nondescript comment. However, if I stopped to reread them, I would prolly be surprised at how much info I *have* posted. :shrug:

[Pale Blue Dot]

4. My parents are Kathy and Michael!! My parents are Kathy and Michael!!!

... and my grandfather was the late actor Eddie Bracken!!!!

Damn, there goes my bank account....

[DeposeTheBoyKing]

5. Does anyone besides the mods even know my last name??

It's not like we're posting our SSNs and checking account numbers on here.

[AlCzervik]

9. We aren't? Oh dear, i have some posts i need to edit

[HEyHEY]

6. Moron!

Hey..where have you been?

[Pale Blue Dot]

10. I was trying to get my life together and not bother anyone.

:hi:

[Placebo]

17. HaHa!

I'm reviewing all your personal financial info now. ;)

[billie_]

20. HAHAHA, i just stole yer 401k sucka! n/t

[Kenneth ken]

7. other

I weigh my responses and try to keep them vague enough to maintain my anonymity. Many threads I skip entirely.

[Champ]

11. I won't reveal my real last name (First, doesn't matter)

Address
Telephone #
a friend's or family's name
or their address or phone #
Social Security Number

However I'm not afraid of any fundies who decide to use whatever information they can find to track me down.

[kiraboo]

12. Good point!

Now, identify me. I dare you.

[mattclearing]

13. You mean that admin password thing was a scam?

eom

[sleipnir]

15. Quiet fool!!! Or the jig is up!!!

I've already collected at least 11 partial names in my inane thread alone!

[billie_]

21. hahahah! n/t

[WMliberal]

22. in the words of eric cartman....

"Derrrr, how the fuck should I know, I'm retarded. Derrrrr"

[Susang]

24. Why would you want to call your fellow DUers stupid?

Seems rather snarky and mean to me. :shrug:

BTW, I've posted my name and location here many times. You know what's come out of it? I met a whole lot of other DUers who also live in Chicago!

Whoops! I let more precious information slip again. I guess I'll have to stop worrying about the drug dealers and gangbangers on the corner and start worrying about someone possibly finding out the number to my home phone, which I never answer anyway unless I know who it is because I'm not stupid enough to live without caller ID in a big city like Chicago! :eyes:

[Donkeyboy75]

25. "What's your sign?"

Fucking Christ. :eyes:

[BikeWriter]

26. My name is Junior Samples. My number is BR-549

I live in a corn field... Salute! :hi:

[Mike Niendorff]

27. lol.

Gee, ya think?

Seriously, I post under my real name but I STILL am not posting even HALF the personal info that some of those threads are designed to dig up.


MDN

[fleabert]

28. I don't think much of that is any big deal. Most could be found out

anyway, just pay someone who knows what they are doing to dig deep, it's not that difficult if you are determined.

SSN, DL #, etc. is a different story. I have my credit cards and bank accounts password protected even if I show up in person with ID. And I keep a very close eye on my credit report. I would catch an attempt within days, and have, before I ever got on DU or any board for that matter.

If someone wants to call me, go ahead, sometimes I get bored and might like a random conversation. If I get harassed I'll use Caller ID.

[jdots]

29. i don't give a shit in a way

Nobody would want my identity or crappy credit.

[Runcible Spoon]

32. exactly! feel free to steal my identity

and pay off my student loans!!! :evilgrin:

[cleofus1]

30. everyone knows who i am anyways

just follow the links...

[cleofus1]

31. oh yeah...

that's funny the links are gone! Doh!

[Runcible Spoon]

33. honestly, my full name and office phone #

are already posted online through my graduate department webpage. I don't care if people who read DU know how old I am, where I go to school, what I study, my sign, or what city I live in. If someone is going to be psycho enough to track me down, it wouldn't be hard, internet or no internet. And that goes for any of you.

[KG]

34. oh heck no! as part of a witness protection program, it isn't a good idea

:)

[Runcible Spoon]

35. well I haven't witnessed any crimes....****yet****

:shrug:

[Smeggy]

36. I wouldn't post my pic here

the 'watchers' allready have a file on all of us ( :p ) you wnat to give them a pic for it as well?

[sbj405]

37. Most info is quite easily attainable

Any doctor you've gone to, any place you've applied for credit or an apartment more than likely has your social security number. Contrary to what the people were originally told the SSN is used for ID and is no longer a private piece of info. And what the hell kind of security question is mother's maiden name??? Won't be a secret at all for my kids.

Besides I think most identity criminal are much more sophisticated than to troll a forum for months trying to piece together the info.

[DS1]

39. *ahem*

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=2184232&mesg_id=2184237&page=

[hyphenate]

40. I have been online since 1989

and in all that time, I have never gotten any stalkers chasing me, no letter bombs, and no ID theft. At one point, the worst thing that happened was someone figured out the password to one of my sub accounts on AOL, and was using it to get women to write to him--the password was changed quickly and he went away.

I have shit for credit anyhow, and even if I give my full name, my parents names, the cities I was born and raised in, or my cats' names, no one can rob me if I have nothing to give. My full name,address and phone number are available at Switchboard as well. And that doesn't matter, either, because I have caller ID as well, and use that to identify callers. If the ID is blocked, or doesn't have any info, the call goes ignored until I listen to the voice mail and determine if it's worth calling back or not. In addition, I have the "smart ring" feature with a second phone number that is given only to close friends and family, and it rings differently than my main number. Those calls I answer.

When it comes to certain personal data, like SS#, DL# or other such as that, anyone who DOES post it in a public forum is blissfully ignorant of the ways that info can be used.

I've been into fandom for over 30 years now, and was very involved with different facets of clubs, conventions and other such group oriented activities for many years, so who I am is not a secret by any means. I've noticed some people arevery hesitant about giving out info, and if they've had problems in the past, that's understandable. But I've basically had no problems all these years.

In fact, the fact that I have an online presence has led to some old high school buddies tracking me down after I thought I'd never hear from them again. And some of my not-so-close relatives have managed to find me, which was great as well.

I would say use discretion, but don't become a hermit over it. Anything that can be found in a telephone book is available on the web regardless of any other factor, so it's not like we're all that anonymous anyhow, unless you are really so paranoid about it that you make it especially difficult to keep your ID a secret.

[obreaslan]

41. *POLL*: What's your Social Security Number?

• 164-76-1302
  
• 235-65-0943
  
• 543-98-3085
  
• other (please list)
  

[regularguy]

42. Mom's maiden Name: SMITH!

I know I'm gonna regret this...

[Samurai_Writer]

43. Hey if someone wants to steal my identity and bad credit...

more power to them. I have no problems with sharing personal information here.