Be Careful What You Post Online

emily_325 · Aug 3, 2006

Another thread reminded me of this, and I mentioned it there, but though that way more people would see it if I started a new thread.

As most of us know you can find anything on the Internet. You can google someones email address, name, or handle and sometimes find VERY personal information. In one instance that I know of a man found an old girlfriend that he was trying to get back in touch with by doing this and found some photos that she had posted online. One was of her cat. He saved the photo, zoomed in on the dangling ID tag and PRESTO. He had her current address and phone number. As far as I know he never did anything other than make a few harassing phone calls and send letters.

The same goes for what we post here, on our blogs, reviews that we write, online photo albums, MySpace, etc... Too much personal information is never a good thing.

Let's just all be safe about what we put out there in cyberspace for others to happen upon. We never know who from our past is looking for it.

phenomsmom · Aug 3, 2006

You are very right! I for one am very cautious about what I post. We have gone through lots of training for my job about what is considered sensitive material for the online world. great reminder!

cat_eyes · Aug 3, 2006

thats why my mom said. dont post your address or where you live. or dont give out your name,phonenumber,lastname,.

sophiec · Aug 3, 2006

this is old, but still pertinent info.........

Beginning this month (May '05) a new database will be available to the general public, free of charge, that displays your personal information (names, addresses, phone numbers, birth dates).

The database is found at www.zabasearch.com. I urge you to forward this email to family and friends. Check to see if your name and information is in their database. If so and you want it removed, send them an e-mail at [email protected] to request it be removed. I do not know how our names are appearing there, but I checked my own and a few other random ones, and they are all in this database!

After opting out by email, check back after a few days to make certain your information has been removed.

Displaying such information should be a crime. This is really scary with all the identity theft going on. Someone could come across a piece of your mail and get all your vital info.

Be careful!

emily_325 · Aug 3, 2006

Originally Posted by Cat_eyes

thats why my mom said. dont post your address or where you live. or dont give out your name,phonenumber,lastname,.

Sounds like you have a very smart mom.

We have to watch less obvious things too like the cat photo I mentioned above. It seems harmless to post a picture of your furbaby, but if someone can pull info from the ID tag...

Same goes with car pics. Some people can hack into things and get your information based on your license plate.

I had a coworker the other day, to prove to me that he could do it, tell me what my parents names were, where they live, how many acres they own there, etc.... He got all this information from the Internet.

zak&rocky · Aug 3, 2006

I just give my state, and an approximate location but not the specific town...
No last names and I don't usually say my hubbys first name.

phenomsmom · Aug 3, 2006

I agree that 1st names are okay. Areas are okay to. I have given my town name before aswell but not exact locales or street names or anything.

lucat · Aug 3, 2006

Originally Posted by SophieC

this is old, but still pertinent info.........

Beginning this month (May '05) a new database will be available to the general public, free of charge, that displays your personal information (names, addresses, phone numbers, birth dates).

The database is found at www.zabasearch.com. I urge you to forward this email to family and friends. Check to see if your name and information is in their database. If so and you want it removed, send them an e-mail at [email protected] to request it be removed. I do not know how our names are appearing there, but I checked my own and a few other random ones, and they are all in this database!

After opting out by email, check back after a few days to make certain your information has been removed.

Displaying such information should be a crime. This is really scary with all the identity theft going on. Someone could come across a piece of your mail and get all your vital info.

Be careful!

Thank You for this- I just did my name & there I was- when I asked for more info it had the wrong state on one part but everything else was me- I sent the email to remove name & will check back Thanks again!!!

arcadian girl · Aug 3, 2006

i actually had something happen to me on an old forum i used to go to. i had a disagreement with someone, and this person went off the deep end. i had only posted my first name and the city i lived in, and a few days after our disagreement, he sent me a pm with my full name, home address, and phone number in it, with the message "i think we should talk, dont you?". fortunately i wasn't frightened-more angry than anything else, and i told him "if you feel like showing up here, you go right ahead. my boyfriend would like a few words with you anyhow-easier to do it in person, no?". he never responded again. but it just goes to show yout here are some creepy people out there, who take an internet disagreement WAY too seriously.

i checked that zabasearch thing and i'm not in it, thank heavens. i think it's a terrible idea. peoples home addy and telephone should be PRIVATE. what if someones trying to get away from an abusive spouse?

shengmei · Aug 3, 2006

I have something similar happened to me, also. Someone found my unlisted email address and started emailing me, all the while posting derogatory remarks behind my every post in all of my forums.

I have heard this phenomenon (called stepping or something like that?) was actually very common, as long as one person uses the same usernames in different forums.

Sometimes, however, I feel like the heck with it. If someone is vindinctive enough to stalk me online......she deserves everything I say about her, anywhere. I would not hesitate to say the same words to her face.

lucat · Aug 3, 2006

Originally Posted by arcadian girl

i actually had something happen to me on an old forum i used to go to. i had a disagreement with someone, and this person went off the deep end. i had only posted my first name and the city i lived in, and a few days after our disagreement, he sent me a pm with my full name, home address, and phone number in it, with the message "i think we should talk, dont you?". fortunately i wasn't frightened-more angry than anything else, and i told him "if you feel like showing up here, you go right ahead. my boyfriend would like a few words with you anyhow-easier to do it in person, no?". he never responded again. but it just goes to show yout here are some creepy people out there, who take an internet disagreement WAY too seriously.

i checked that zabasearch thing and i'm not in it, thank heavens. i think it's a terrible idea. peoples home addy and telephone should be PRIVATE. what if someones trying to get away from an abusive spouse?

You are absolutely right about the abusive spouse- I am one & checked my ex-in his data it listed my address & this after being away from him 11 yrs. -Fortunatley I have a strong support system & network in the legal systems he knows not to try anything & hasn't in 9yrs. but the idea my address is there is a concern-

bella713 · Aug 3, 2006

Originally Posted by Cat_eyes

thats why my mom said. dont post your address or where you live. or dont give out your name,phonenumber,lastname,.

Good advice from your mom it's sad but u have to be so careful now-adays!!!

coolcat · Aug 3, 2006

..Oky doky!

alikatt · Aug 3, 2006

Originally Posted by SophieC

this is old, but still pertinent info.........

Beginning this month (May '05) a new database will be available to the general public, free of charge, that displays your personal information (names, addresses, phone numbers, birth dates).

The database is found at www.zabasearch.com. I urge you to forward this email to family and friends. Check to see if your name and information is in their database. If so and you want it removed, send them an e-mail at [email protected] to request it be removed. I do not know how our names are appearing there, but I checked my own and a few other random ones, and they are all in this database!

After opting out by email, check back after a few days to make certain your information has been removed.

Displaying such information should be a crime. This is really scary with all the identity theft going on. Someone could come across a piece of your mail and get all your vital info.

Be careful!

I just checked the database, and while MY name wasn't found, I found the name of my father, my mom, and both of my father's parents, and I emailed to have them all removed. This is just apalling. I was actually shocked to see it. I would recommend for everyone to check it out, and ask for removal. I'm not sure what you are suppose to say, but I just ask the names to be removed, and copy and pasted the listing.Thank you for letting me, and everyone know about this site.

satai · Aug 3, 2006

Thank you SophieC - I hadn't known about it, but I'm very glad that I do now so that I warn my family.

bella713 · Aug 3, 2006

I just checked and my husband is on their several times and I'm on there with my first married name...too weird. My first husband is on there and it said it was recorded in 2002 HE died in 1996
thanks for this info

Moz · Aug 3, 2006

I don't live in the States but some of my cousins do, and I found their info on that site. It's really creepy how you can find someone's information on the internet..

rapunzel47 · Aug 3, 2006

FWIW Here's Snopes take on it. Not surprisingly, the thing is true, but you might find the write-up interesting.

pushylady · Aug 3, 2006

I can't believe that's legal.

lucat · Aug 3, 2006

Originally Posted by rapunzel47

FWIW Here's Snopes take on it. Not surprisingly, the thing is true, but you might find the write-up interesting.

I just received the response the Snopes review refers to that a email is not suffcient & a written letter had to be sent to remove or block your info

Be Careful What You Post Online

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