Date: Mon, 13 Aug 2001 08:07:32 -0700 (PDT) From: samadams1776@yahoo.com (Sam Adams) Subject: [protectyourstuff] SECRETS From The INVISIBLE MAN... To: protectyourstuff@yahoogroups.com, AmericanConstitution@onelist.com Reply-To: protectyourstuff@yahoogroups.com
SECRETS FROM THE INVISIBLE MAN: How to Protect Your Identity... Your Assets... And Your Life by J.J. "Jack" Luna
Reprinted from the September 1, 2001 issue of Bottom Line Newsletter
Keeping personal information private helps protect yo from frivolous lawsuits... identity theft... and unwanted sales calls. It could even derail a stalker or someone else looking to do you physical harm.
How far you should go to protect your privacy is a personal decision. But I believe these steps make sense for just about everyone...
BIRTH DATE- While most people are careful with their Social Security numbers, many of us give out birth dates without a second thought. If someone wants to track you down -- a private investigator, a con man,and ex-lover -- you have just made it much easier for him/her.
Most people are listed in thousands of databases, compiled from medical records, divisions of motor vehicles, credit agencies, employment records, court records, Internet companies, etc. Not all of these records are secure.
If it is just your name in a database, it doesn't mean much -- there are probably many people who share your name. But combine that name with a date of birth, and the pool shrinks by more than 99% -- enough for any compentent private investigator to find you.
Safer: Don't provide your date of birth. When you cannot avoid it, consider making some minor alteration to the date that can be called an innocent error if it is picked up later.
Example: Suppose your birth date is December 4, written 12/4. In most countries other than the US and Canada, this is written as 4 December -- or 4/12.
Obviously, if your date of birth is after the 12th, this won't work. Then you might "mistakenly" enter the month and date of a family member. But be honest on government forms, loan applications or anywhere else that it is likely to be checked.
The personal information that is already in databases is there for good. The only "solution" is to move... get a new phone number... and never again allow your true name to be coupled with your true address, thus leaving only the old information in the databases.
PROVIDING ID- When someone insists that I show identification, I show my passport. Unlike a driver's license, it does not provide my home address.
This strategy is particularly useful for women who might be asked for identification at a bar -- and then get an unwelcome visitor later.
Exception: When the police ask for a driver's license, that is what you must provide [if you are driving].
TELEPHONE- Anyone who wants privacy should get an unlisted phone number and "caller ID blocking". Then people you call can't find out your number, even if they have caller ID. Fees for this service vary by provider -- usually a few dollars per month.
Note: Caller ID blocking does not work when you call toll-free or 900 numbers... or when you call many US government offices. Calls to 911 will show your street address and phone number.
If you are serious about not being tracked down, an unlisted phone number is not enough. Instead, get an unlisted number under a different name. Then no one will be able to trace that nujber to you.
Use a prepaid phone card at a pay phone for calls that require extra security.
Prepaid cell phones also are now available. While any cell-phone call can be intercepted, prepaid cell-phone calls can't be tracked to you... and no one can run up a huge bill on your account.
US MAIL- More than 100,000 residential mailboxes are burglarized every day. Unsecured mailboxes make a tremendous amount of personal information available to anyone who cares to know it. In addition to your name and address, your mail could provide someone with: * Signed checks that can be easily altered. A $20 check could become $2,000 * Account numbers from bank, credit card and investment statements. * Preapproved credit card solicitations. * Social Security and other personal information from government forms * A profile of your interests and shopping habits
To keep your mail private: * Outgoing mail: Use indoor mailboxes located at the post office or other public areas. * Incoming Mail: Consider using a commercial mail-receiving agency, such as Mail Boxes Etc. (800-789-4623... http://www.mbe.com) or PostNet (800-841-7171... http://www.postnet.net).
Post-office boxes are another solutions, although they can't be used for deliveries by private shipping companies.
These are imperfect solutions because all of these services require identification to open a mailbox. Many people have arranged to receive mail through their real estate agents, accountants, lawyers or other advisors [and, there are private mail-forwarding services, as well].
E-MAIL- E-mail sent via your work computer is not protected by personal privacy laws -- so your employer can "spy" on you.
To Keep you E-mail private: Consider sending messages via an "anonymizer" website, such as http://www.lokmail.com This free service encryptes messages to assure that only the intended recipients can read them. The encryption will work only if the sender and the receiver both use Lok-Mail addresses.
BANKS- If someone is thinking of suing you, the first thing he/she will do is ask a lawyer if he has a case. The first thing the lawyer will do is call a private investigator to find out if you have the money to make it worth his while.
A private investigator will subpeona the records of all the banks in your town -- and perhaps the surrounding towns -- looking for accounts. Most banks insist they would not provide such records, but a good investigator can get the information.
Self-defense: Move all but a small amount of cash to a bank outside your immediate region -- at least in another state -- or a national investment company, such as Fidelity, Schwab, or Merril Lynch. A lawyer will then be less likely to find your assets. [We would like to contradict the author here- any accounts opened in your name and with your Social Security Number will be found easily by a lawyer or anyone else who is tracking you...]
GARBAGE/RECYCLING- It is perfectly legal for anyone to snoop through your garbage or recycling stack once you put it at the curb. A paper shredder is an inexpensive way to deter invasion of your privacy for any personal or financial documents.
A standard shredder ($30-$40) is enough for most people. However, if you have serious privacy concerns, a cross-cut shredder (about $100) leaves documents so diced that they can never be put back together.
J.J. "Jack" Luna spent 11 years eluding capture by police as a secret hunamitarian operative in Franco's Spain. He now works as an international consultant to individual interested in protecting their identities. http://www.howtobeinvisible.com
We forgot to include the details for this week's Pure Trust Q&A Conference Call in the weekly reminder:
Monday August 13, 2001 8:30 PM Eastern Time Zone (918)222-7032 Passcode: 5847#
Don't forget to tell the call Moderators know you were invited to participate by Protectyourstuff.com!!!
:)
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