It Never Ceases to Amaze Me...

[afchic]

... to put it bluntly, how stupid people are.

I was at lunch today at Panera, which is fairly crowded at noon. So as I am sitting enjoying my meat free lunch (my mom would be proud I remembered it is Friday) when the woman at the next table over is on a call with her Doctor's Office. She proveded them with her full name, date of birth, social security number, current address and phone number. I was astounded. Had a been an unscrupulous person, I could have put all that information into my phone, and she would have never known, because it appeared I was just surfing on mine.

When her phone call was over, I quietly went over to her to tell her what I heard, and that next time she makes a call of that nature she might want to wait to do it in her car, or somewhere the general public couldn't hear her. She got on me for being rude and eavsdropping on her conversation.

There has been a ton of stories in the news lately about how to protect yourself, while using the convenience of your smart phone. Mine is now password protected in case I forget it somewhere, no one can get into it. I never use the "free" wifi. I never access my banking, or any other sensitive information on it. I only download apps that I know are from a reliable institution (weather channel, foxnews, etc...) and I NEVER ever talk on the phone in public. If I recieve or need to make a call, I excuse myself and go somewhere private.

How in this day and age of identity theft can people continue to do stuff like this to put themselves at risk? Then they cry bloddy murder when someone steals their identity.

[Badger52]

Originally Posted by afchic

... to put it bluntly, how stupid people are.

I was at lunch today at Panera, which is fairly crowded at noon. So as I am sitting enjoying my meat free lunch (my mom would be proud I remembered it is Friday) when the woman at the next table over is on a call with her Doctor's Office. She proveded them with her full name, date of birth, social security number, current address and phone number. I was astounded. Had a been an unscrupulous person, I could have put all that information into my phone, and she would have never known, because it appeared I was just surfing on mine.

When her phone call was over, I quietly went over to her to tell her what I heard, and that next time she makes a call of that nature she might want to wait to do it in her car, or somewhere the general public couldn't hear her. She got on me for being rude and eavsdropping on her conversation.

There has been a ton of stories in the news lately about how to protect yourself, while using the convenience of your smart phone. Mine is now password protected in case I forget it somewhere, no one can get into it. I never use the "free" wifi. I never access my banking, or any other sensitive information on it. I only download apps that I know are from a reliable institution (weather channel, foxnews, etc...) and I NEVER ever talk on the phone in public. If I recieve or need to make a call, I excuse myself and go somewhere private.

How in this day and age of identity theft can people continue to do stuff like this to put themselves at risk? Then they cry bloddy murder when someone steals their identity.

While no longer the case, it wasn't that long ago that the State Patrol (nailing out of staters I imagine, who want to be on their way) would process their ticketee's CC info in the clear, over the air, to be verified by dispatch. Had the type of card, number, expiration, 3/4-digit "I've got it" code - the other stuff like name, address, DL, etc., had already gone over the air in the clear.

Still a good little scanner, that Bearcat...

[lindy]

Originally Posted by afchic

She got on me for...eavsdropping on her conversation.

Meh, some MOSes are used to that. Just ask your 1N3's and 1N8's.

I'm sure that lady had the "that will never happen to me" attitude. I have a buddy who works for a Federal Agency and when he outprocessed the Navy years ago, the admin clerk swiped his info.

Still a mess years later.

[BOfH]

Where do I start Eh, forget it. Some people never learn. What that saying... "Knowledge has its limits, stupidity knows no bounds". I see this type of behavior, denial and lack of SA day in, day out. The joys of incident response...

[Team Sergeant]

Originally Posted by afchic

... How in this day and age of identity theft can people continue to do stuff like this to put themselves at risk? Then they cry bloddy murder when someone steals their identity.

Predators always go for the weaker prey..... next time leave them alone and allow the predators to cull the herd.

[afchic]

Originally Posted by Team Sergeant

Predators always go for the weaker prey..... next time leave them alone and allow the predators to cull the herd.

Right on. My husband thinks I am almost OCD about this stuff. I have had my SSN stolen more times than I can count from different DoD databases. The thought of just giving it out over the phone in public just makes me cringe. But you are right, if they go after a soft target like her, they will leave the hard target like me alone.

[Sohei]

In instances like those, there is no shortage of "willing" victims.

They are woefully ignorant of and lacking in the area of situational awareness and consumed by the naive thought that "those things could never happen to me."

That's why it happens to hundreds of victims each and every day and seems preposterous to those of us who do practice situational awareness!

[orion5]

afchic,

I was in Discount Tire 3 weeks ago. Went to the counter to check in. There was a pretty large crowd, mostly men, standing around me, some within inches. The guy behind the counter loudly asked for my name, phone number and address so he could look it up in his computer. I was uncomfortable with the number of people close by so I grabbed a scrap of paper to write it down. The counter guy impatiently asked what I was doing. When I told him, he mocked me out loud. I walked out. Will not go back.

o5

[Stingray]

Originally Posted by afchic

But you are right, if they go after a soft target like her, they will leave the hard target like me alone.

Very well said Maam. You hit it on the head.

[Surgicalcric]

Originally Posted by orion5

... When I told him, he mocked me out loud. I walked out....

o5

Slapping the taste out of his mouth would have gotten your point across too.

[SF0]

Originally Posted by orion5

afchic,

I was in Discount Tire 3 weeks ago. Went to the counter to check in. There was a pretty large crowd, mostly men, standing around me, some within inches. The guy behind the counter loudly asked for my name, phone number and address so he could look it up in his computer. I was uncomfortable with the number of people close by so I grabbed a scrap of paper to write it down. The counter guy impatiently asked what I was doing. When I told him, he mocked me out loud. I walked out. Will not go back.

o5

Send a letter to corporate in Scottsdale AZ. I used to work for Discount Tire both at corporate and in the shops, and they used to take customer service seriously. The guys at the counter are full time employees with benefits and rarely have to work on a car. Mouthing off isn't tolerated of tire techs, and definitely isn't tolerated of full timers.

[GratefulCitizen]

The local powerplant outsources their security.
Used to get an ID each year to pass the gate, they would have us fill in a few lines and copy our driver's license.

Last year, they wanted my SSN before issuing another ID.
Told 'em no.

They said I would be denied entry.
Told 'em that would be fine, just send someone outside the gate to receive the packages (lots of them).

Two days of this and suddenly the security company remember that they can issue "guest" ID's.

Won't ever give my SSN is being given to a third party.

[The Reaper]

Originally Posted by SF0

Send a letter to corporate in Scottsdale AZ. I used to work for Discount Tire both at corporate and in the shops, and they used to take customer service seriously. The guys at the counter are full time employees with benefits and rarely have to work on a car. Mouthing off isn't tolerated of tire techs, and definitely isn't tolerated of full timers.

I concur completely.

TR

[orion5]

Originally Posted by Surgicalcric

Slapping the taste out of his mouth would have gotten your point across too.

Ambush Master has volunteered to go there and have a group counseling session.

Whenever I am asked to give my info, it is like this: Joe Smith, an old address that I lived in 20 years ago, and the non emergency number to the local police department (it is easy to memorize, and no one knows the differance). I also use the same info again when they need to look me up in the database.