Scammers

[flowerbug]

This was at his tiny, local PO .

I have never been in that one. I imagine that it has a vestibule with mailboxes and the trash can right by the door. Could take the bag and go. That is so typical.

We need to think about our mail. Also, because someone on the phone knows several things about us, that doesn't mean that they are who they say they are.

Steve

you sure it wasn't the recycling pick up?

 

[flowerbug]

Talking of mail... I'm sick of having to rip up my details on so many parts of any letter or parcel I receive. Putting your name and address twice on each page of a bank statement or bill is excessive.
There's no need for this and is begging for criminals to acquire a customer's details, it's so stupid it makes me feel as if it is almost deliberate.

i shred everything and feed it to the worms. there's no chance anyone is going to make sense of what comes out of a worm b-hole. the other advantage is that i have very educated worms.

i do cut out and remove the plastic windows and other hard plastics that come in the mail. i don't throw anything away at the post office.

 

[Ridgerunner]

We use a shredder for stuff like that. I think it was worth the cost.

When I cut up an old card, ID or Credit, I cut it into small pieces and put different pieces in three different trash cans that get put out at different times. No way it can be pieced back together.

 

[flowerbug]

We use a shredder for stuff like that. I think it was worth the cost.

When I cut up an old card, ID or Credit, I cut it into small pieces and put different pieces in three different trash cans that get put out at different times. No way it can be pieced back together.

same here. i keep a small container to throw those in so that when i cut them up i'm doing a bunch and then when i'm done i mix it all well and take a handfull out in each bag.

 

[digitS']

I do the same with credit cards - the pieces go into the garbage can over the course of several weeks.

My shredder isn't up to much work.

Some "official" correspondence is saved. I have been involved in 3 lawsuits and when Steve shows up with documents, we can all go home now.

Steve

 

[flowerbug]

i learned the hard way at my last job that if anything questionable happens i should write it down ASAP with all details as you never know when you might need to go back and reference that.

 

[Marie2020]

Yet another blow to people here in UK . Now it's with the universal credit. People who have not claimed have had their details stolen and applications opened. To top it all some of these victims have been threatened by the service and asked to repay what they haven't claimed in the first place.

I've found out the hard way about being scammed, I was not believed at the time and after all these years there is still no protection because still the system attacks the innocent.

Why, when the world knows that it is a huge risk taking private details of any customer or claimant online do these companies STILL insist upon it.

Why do you have to give your birth date to an energy company, when they can't protect you and don't even try. They print these details continuously on paper and online.

 

[Zeedman]

Every piece of mail, every old bill or medical record, ANYTHING with my name or address, gets shredded or burned when no longer useful. I purchased a heavy duty "embassy grade" shredder (lol) which I have never regretted. I can scatter all of the shred over the snow, and no one will even notice until Spring.

IMO the biggest threat to personal privacy, and to our identities, is the increasingly centralized storage of personal information - regardless of who is collecting it. One hack, or one bribe, can compromise the identity of millions.

Even worse when the central hub of information is a government entity, where "open records" laws can legally be abused for nefarious purposes. I found it especially troubling that prior to the November election, DW & I were receiving unsolicited absentee ballot requests from partisan organizations... who demonstrated that they knew our voting history, and whether or not we had already requested a ballot. And perhaps willing to cast a vote on our behalf, if we did not?

In 2013 I was informed that personal information concerning my military record had been compromised. Hackers (allegedly Chinese) penetrated the OPM, which holds (among other things) the personal information of anyone who has ever applied for a job requiring a background check - whether they were hired or not. Think about it... someone has potentially damaging information on almost every federal government employee, military or civilian - 18 million people, including many of our current career politicians. Curiously, for perhaps the biggest act of espionage in U.S. history, there was never any public action taken against the alleged perpetrators.

 

[Marie2020]

Every piece of mail, every old bill or medical record, ANYTHING with my name or address, gets shredded or burned when no longer useful. I purchased a heavy duty "embassy grade" shredder (lol) which I have never regretted. I can scatter all of the shred over the snow, and no one will even notice until Spring.

IMO the biggest threat to personal privacy, and to our identities, is the increasingly centralized storage of personal information - regardless of who is collecting it. One hack, or one bribe, can compromise the identity of millions.

Even worse when the central hub of information is a government entity, where "open records" laws can legally be abused for nefarious purposes. I found it especially troubling that prior to the November election, DW & I were receiving unsolicited absentee ballot requests from partisan organizations... who demonstrated that they knew our voting history, and whether or not we had already requested a ballot. And perhaps willing to cast a vote on our behalf, if we did not?

In 2013 I was informed that personal information concerning my military record had been compromised. Hackers (allegedly Chinese) penetrated the OPM, which holds (among other things) the personal information of anyone who has ever applied for a job requiring a background check - whether they were hired or not. Think about it... someone has potentially damaging information on almost every federal government employee, military or civilian - 18 million people, including many of our current career politicians. Curiously, for perhaps the biggest act of espionage in U.S. history, there was never any public action taken against the alleged perpetrators.

This continuous collecting of personal data, shouldn't it be changed somehow. Maybe another method of identification especially online. Surely the powers that be can see the harm it is causing, in some cases even too their selves.

 

[Marie2020]

Scary - I hope that incident was reported to the PO, and that they had surveillance cameras to pick up the vehicle. Not sure what criminals might want with PO waste, but a lot of packages being mailed out right now. Receipts with tracking data, as well as Money Order receipts, could be in the trash.

Phone scams are in high gear here. "Vehicle recalls", Social Security scams, fake "Microsoft Customer Service" calls (with heavy Indo-Asian accent). Constant robo calls, usually just as we are eating dinner. It has gotten to the point where DW & I don't even get up to answer the phone any more... anyone we know will follow a non-answer by calling our cell numbers.

I cut all my mail up, I don't have a shredder.

The last time someone cold called me I gave them an interrogation asking how they got hold of my details. Then I tracked them down and left them a good warning on their answering machine. When you've encountered so many of these thieving conniving sort you do your best to make it stop. I've not had one since so far.

My friend has had contact with one of these scammers, he's been feeding her all sorts of rubbish. She's letting it go because she has children but he said he like to pay her back somehow. I don't think she'll be handing him her bank details anytime soon.

What I didn't know is, it's been the whole of this year, she's been slowly reeled in. She's even pitied the creep on the last ft conversation.