Notes on Privacy & Self-Reliance

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As promised from the SENSIBLE Conference:

Protect your true identity and your profile. 

Opt out of as many mailings as you can, and put phone numbers on the Do Not Call List

– Obtain a locked Post Office box

– Contact banks to stop credit card offers

– Create a separate email for "hobbies" that may reveal too much about you, decreasing your home security. Many magazines are online… 

– Unless it is a legal document, don’t provide your birth date or your mother’s maiden name

– Shred your mail!

•Limit social networking under your real name- use a code name if possible.

–Limit online pictures of your home, family, assets

–Keep Privacy Controls tight (No friends of friends viewing!)

–Train teens to be more discreet…Monitor Internet

•Carefully vet contractors/cleaners/painters, maids or babysitters needed at your house. If you must have them in, make sure your supplies and personal information are out of view.

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Your Private Information is Online- available to anyone

•Internet Searches in your name  now can show

Published pictures of you, candid pictures of you added by others, news articles or Blogs mentioning your name. Real Estate bought and sold in your name, your property values, your property taxes, and whether or not your are current in paying your taxes. Your voting district, and your affiliation. Churches publish their activities online, possibly indicating your membership, as do school alumni trying to link up for reunions. (Arrest records, outstanding warrants, & jail visitation lists are also online in many states).

•Google Earth, & Street view show:

Your House, cars parked in your driveway, and your backyard garden

Google often tracks your membership in clubs, any public or municipal office you have held, and times you have spoken to county government or had your name included in minutes. Your picture may be archived in old high school or college year books online…. Even from the 1970’s or before.

•Open Source* People Searches show:

Your full name, nick names, your age and sometimes DOB. Addresses & phone numbers (former and current), the names of people who have lived with you- (parents, in-laws, children, former spouses) often gathered from credit card or utility bills tied to your address…and more

•Facebook:  Timeline (Nothing safe here!)

•Be aware of who collects your personal info!

•Limit the information you provide them

– “Rewards Cards”… the purchase information is being compiled about you, and locating all purchases at your address.(This includes large amounts of food supplies, computers, laptops, audio-video, wide screens...)

–All Debit and Credit Card usage…. every purchase, your medicines, if you visited an oncologist or any other doctor and what kind... and much of your medical history, how often you go to the movies, etc. (Move to cash).

–“Customer Surveys”, Social Networking “likes”-  are only information collectors!

–Monitor your credit rating

–Limit your profile on the Internet

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 Self Reliance Lowers Your Profile !