Do you give your phone # to stores???

Junkman · Aug 23, 2004

( I never could quite figure out what the thumbprint was supposed to prove. If you've never been in trouble with the law before, or in the military or law enforcement, it isn't going to be worth anything to the bank. I guess if the check you were cashing was bogus, they could tell the FBI, "Yep, we got his thumb print!" and be happy about that! Do you really think the banks have the ability to check thumb prints somehow? )

Banks don't have the ability to check your thumb print, but the local law enforcement does. There are two different things going on here..... one is the thumb print that is used to ID the check writer. With this system, it would be very hard for you to claim that you didn't write the check to the store. I do know that some stores are still using the system and they tell the customer that the check will be returned to them with their thumb print intact when the check clears. Today, this is more acceptable to people than it was 25 years ago. The other thing is that checks aren't returned by the bank with your statement any longer. As a side note, I told the bank that I would close my account if I didn't get back my canceled checks and they relented..... at least for now.
The second scenario is that if the check is fraudulent and the true check writer can not be determined, at least they can figure out who cashed it.
In both of these cases, the thumb print will be a valuable tool for law enforcement because it is usually previously arrested crooks that are involved in these scams. I don't know what the percentage of the population is fingerprinted, but I know it must be getting up there in the percentages with all the Homeland security measures that are happening. Twenty years ago, I made a police report about my car radio being stolen, and they insisted on finger printing both me and my wife. I asked why and the "claimed" that it was to determine our finger prints from the crooks if they recovered the radio. I knew it was BS and they were just collecting fingerprints to put into the National data base, but I needed the police report to collect my insurance claim for the damage to the car. Today, I believe that they would fingerprint you if you get caught spitting on the ground. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Currmudgeon · Aug 23, 2004

( She seemed a bit suprised that my Social Security Number was 123-45-6789, I told her that most people are suprised by that - but she didn't question me any further )

I used my late ex-wife's SSAN. If they want to pester her, they can try to find her. <evil grin>

If pressed, people will learn that I'm visiting the area, and my permanent address is on the Street of the Bakers, in Ougadougou.

If someone doesn't want to take my money because I'm not properly identified, then pi$$ on em. My money is good somewhere else.

Currmudgeon · Aug 23, 2004

( And that is why I have my credit cards billing address as a PO Box # and use my office as my "ship to" address. I doubt if you could STOP a determined person from getting just about anything and everything. But you can slow down, deter, frustrate and make it non cost effective for legitimate businesses to track you down for the purposes of solicitation.
)

If you're determined and patient, you can put up some pretty effective blocks. An acquaintance, who is an investigator, uses a series of interlinked Mail Boxes Etc addresses for everything. Even his Federal Income Tax and drivers license addresses are to the mail drop. The "real" address at the mail drop is to another mail drop that addresses back to the first, so it’s a closed loop.

Yeah, he can still be found, but it would take a bit of real work.

Gary_in_Indiana · Aug 23, 2004

I always kind of wonder about people who are that concerned about their addresses, phone numbers, etc. It makes me concerned about doing business with them as it has me wondering what they're trying to hide or from whom they're trying to hide.

I'm sure that in some cases there are legitimate reasons but I'm equally sure it's a very small percentage. I take a different tack. All of my customers can get hold of me 24/7 and I return all phone calls.

Bob_Skurka · Aug 23, 2004

My sister had her identity stolen, a drug ring out of Florida got ahold of her American Express number, her NYC address and her SS#. Fortunately someone in fraud detection caught it early and called her to verify something. It took her months to get everything straightened out, but by using those 3 pieces of information, they opened up a couple dozen other credit cards, charged up over $100,000 in charges that went on her credit report, etc. I think it just makes sense to be somewhat protective about personal information.

slowrev · Aug 23, 2004

Gary,
I suppose you like getting telemarketer calls at supper time every day. Or maybe spending an extra 40 hours or so a year just sorting junk mail for the stuff that matters. Remember if you buy anything somewhere and give them your Phone number it bypasses the Do Not Call List because you have had business dealings with them in the past 6 months or so. Not real sure if this applies to subsidiaries and parent companies as well but I suspect that it does.

I suppose you might have a bit of a different attitude than I, being a dealer and calls can mean money for you, unlike telemarketer call which only take up my time and tie up my phone line for someone elses benefit. And I pay for my phone service for my benefit not the telemarketers.

As Bob and others have said, the less information someone has on you the less likely they are to take advantage of you.

Yes, I have something to hide. I hide anything that will bring the aggrivation of the marketeers into my quiet domicile. And anything that can be used to rip me off by identity theft or fraud.

Everything has something to hide, Want to tell everyone about that time in high school that you ......

Junkman · Aug 23, 2004

I learned that you can notify the credit reporting companies that you don't want them to give information out to business that offer "instant credit" while you are in the store. This is one area that we all can protect ourselves by making the change to request "no instant credit". Sure it is handy, but I don't want to make it easy for a crook to get instant credit with my name and information. If the crook wants my identity, I will make it difficult for him/her to get it. Usually they will move on to another person that is easier to get credit with their fraudulent identity.

neilly2 · Aug 23, 2004

I have high blood pressure because everything bothers me and I like a lot of salt.

Not knowing that number you wrote bothers me too.

BigDave · Aug 23, 2004

It's so stupid it might just raise your pressure a point or two. It's an old calculator joke, where you tell a story using numbers and the answer comes out to be 55378008. I added the 1, since the story could be varied if you have an extra digit. Anyway, when you get this number, turn your calculator upsidedown. You have BOOBLESS. Pure grade school stuff, but I thought 123-45-6789 would be too obvious.