Saphire: The following link explains just one of the reasons why you might be getting mail from those you would least expect. That and search engines like Zaba, USA people search, etc. I've heard of search engines that will also list known relatives and neighbors. When we rented, we lived across the hall from someone who didn't pay a debt. We got a call from a collection agency asking questions about him. We told them we didn't know the person and not to call us again. Data breaches 2006 idtheft.about.com/od/dataandstat1/a/2006_breaches.htm I'd be cautious about anyone who called ME asking for information. My sister in law got a call one day from her bank. They knew enough about her that she gave them her checking account number. They started withdrawing 9.99 out of her account each month. When she finally noticed, she went to the bank in person and asked why anyone would be allowed to withdraw funds from her account without written authorization. They told her that because the company (insurance) was an affiliate, they didn't need anything in writing to be able to do this. They wouldn't refund her money so she told them where to go and switched banks. I told her she should report them to the Office of the Comptroller. cathie54: Years ago I went to a big fair, and filled out a ticket for a drawing to win a prize. (I think it for a car). I started getting tons of junk mail and phone calls that just wouldn't quit! Most contests are just a marketing ploy to get your information. I don't usually fill these out, but when I do, I don't include my telephone number and change the way I spell my name so I know where the junk is originating from. This works well with magazine subscriptions. I used to subscribe to Fine Woodworking. I subscribed under the name "Woody Johnson"! If you pay with a money order, it doesn't matter what name you use. That way I could keep track of who was selling my name and to who. Some people use their real name and add a fake middle initial that starts with the name of the magazine. Everyone has their own system. We don't get many telemarketing calls these days. We signed up for the Do Not Call registry and never answer our phone. Our answering machine screens every single call. Family and friends know to say something if they want us to pick up. We don't bother with caller I.D. or privacy manager. It is just another racket. I think it should be against the law for the phone company to charge you for phone service AND be allowed to sell your number to strangers without your permission. I don't mind the solicitations for charity as much as I mind the political calls. What is the worst are the autodialers. They never leave a number to call so you can a) tell them where to go or b) tell them you won't vote for them as long as they use autodialers to harass you! Did you know when you call 800 and 900 numbers from your home telephone number, your number is displayed to the party you are calling? Doesn't matter if you have an unlisted/unpublished number. I was in an auto accident a few years ago. The police showed up and had us fill out an accident report. Within a month I got mail from three lawyers and a chiropractor. Needless to say none of them got my business. mariend: "What is confusing to me is I shop at a store for one item they carry, which I use and that is it. Now I am getting catalogs and emails from that store. One organization I really got into it because they wanted medical information from DH and if anyone had diabeties in the family and I told them first, I subscribe to the magazine, and what they were asking me is not avaiable to anyone but the medical staff." Unless you paid cash, they will send you a catalog and sell your name to other stores (whether you opt out or not). We started donating to charity anonymously when we learned they sell their lists. Not worried about a tax deductions so we use money orders. There are many good causes out there, but we don't want to be hounded for $ by every single one of them.

And how about this to round out your day. Sigh. IMO...the info system is broken...exposing all citizens to risks far beyond what they ever envisioned when they innocently [for example] opened up an account with Sears to buy a new washer/dryer. Can we go back to a cash only way of life? As appealing as that may sound right about now...I doubt it's even a realistic possibility. We've all been too trusting of a system that, obviously, hasn't been well supervised and/or managed. It's time to get back to the nitty-gritty of scrupulously [and religiously] overseeing the management of our own affairs to the extent that we can. We need to take back ownership. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/20/business/sec-hacking-attack.html?hpw&rref=business&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=well-region&region=bottom-well&WT.nav=bottom-well

Speaking of theft, I happened to pull up my bank account a little while ago and saw someone had charged 46 dollars on my debit card at a Walmart in Washington. As I am in Alabama, not washington, I called my credit unions after hours number and immediately cancelled my card, and she informed me that they had attempted to charge 200 more dollars on it,but it was declined. I hate theives. I hope horrible, inhumane things happen to whoever stole my card information. As for the original topic, as someone who has has her identity stolen more than once for various purposes, not just financial, i wouldn't worry about that particular scenario. Just monitor your financial accounts to make sure no one is charging anything on them. I have a freeze on all 5 credit reports (yes there are 5 not 3) am a member of lifelock, and monitor my bank and credit card accounts very closely. As I have mentioned, my identity has been stolen before and there is no way to fully secure it after that. People SUCK!

Why would ATT have your SSN and DOb? I have ATT and I've never given them any of that info including my address. But I have a prepayment plan, in fact I've had one since the nineties. So if I get a contract plan they get my SSN and other data? It Will never happen. Put a low daily limit on all accounts with notification of activity and 2 factor verification. Take all your long term money and move it to another bank and lock it! No ATM or card card attached, no online account, all access by phone is denied, must be physically present at bank, must have photo ID, and must provide correct password to even do anything at the bank. Yeah, I may be paranoid but I don't have another life time to save what someone wants to steal, so I want to reduce the risk to nearly zero and sleep better. I Caught a $5000 fraudulent charge on my credit card and was able to shut down the card in 20 minutes. The fraud department said it was an online purchase where you need the Security code to do this and asked me if I gave the info to anyone, no. So how on earth did they get it? now I won't shop anyplace without a tap. No tap no business. No store credit cards, no anything so keep your 5% target and I'll shop at Walmart.