Tag Archives: privacy-security

Beware of Meddling Liars: 866-846-9964

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magglassSo, I’m working today, minding my own business…when someone calls the house phone. I answer. (Mistake number one, I should NEVER do that while trying to work.) The lady on the other end asks if I know the neighbor down the street. I don’t.

She wants to know if I can get a message to her. I say, “That depends, what is your company?” She says she can’t give out that kind of confidential information. (Hmmm… but she wants me to carry messages for her down the block?) I asked how she got this number. It was “listed” as a neighbor contact, she says. I think that maybe my significant other knows something about this that I don’t, so I continue the call.

I told her that the kids knew her kids, but before getting them involved, I needed to know if they were attempting to collect a bill (I just had that feeling). She said no, that she is not collecting a bill, she’s unable to verify references for this neighbor and is trying to help her. She says it’s really important.

I said, “So you have THIS number, but you don’t have a number for the neighbor you are trying to reach? And none of her references are verifying?” She said, “Yes.”

I asked, “Did she give you THIS number?” She said, “No.”

I asked how she got it. She said she looked it up.

I said, “Ohhhh, so you looked her up online and are calling based on our geographic proximity to her?” “Yes,” she finally admitted, “but it’s imperative we get in touch with her.”

I take the name, extension and number and then tell her NEVER to call here again and hang up.

I look up the number she gave me, it’s (best I can tell) a collection agency. I also look up the number on the caller ID (865-687-8993 – Divis O). Apparently that’s not a name, it stands for “Operations Division.”

I have to wonder if having neighbors spy and give messages and information out is a legal (I know it’s not a moral/ethical) way to get information to collect a debt.

Geeze!

For more information on these jokers, check out these sites:

(Image courtesy of morguefile.)

Frustrated by “Auto Warranty” Spam Calls

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Well, spam has finally moved from my computer to my cell phone. I’m hating this crap! I get probably a dozen calls a week from various numbers all over the USA with an automated voice telling me that this is my second and final notice that the warranty on my car is about to expire.

If only this really WAS the final notice, it wouldn’t be a problem. The problem is… It never is the final anything.

They are also using my toll-free number, which transfers to my cell when I’m out of the office, so I get the joy of paying twice for each blasted call.

And the best part? My car is so old that no one would EVER offer a warranty. Ditto for my trucks and my beep-beep. I’m just not a new car gal. I’ve never owned a new car, and I never plan to. Why would I do that? It’s fiscally irresponsible, IMHO. But back to the calls…

I’ve done a bit of research and there are many others enjoying the same harrassment, and there seems to be no remedy. I’ve been blocking the numbers I can, but they change daily and it’s becoming a full-time job just to try to do so. The numbers are apparently spoofed, since you can’t call the numbers back.

If anyone has found a solution for this, I’d love to hear it. In the meantime, I’ll continue to grit my teeth.

My Rant DuJour: Privacy Issues and Medical Care

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I know, I know, I’m always complaining about these things…

But I got a referral to a dermatologist recently. Not a big deal, just a little bump that needed to be checked out. I traveled two hours to get there because the referral was made before my recent move North. Not a huge deal, but not much fun early on a Friday morning.

It also decided to snow that morning. After 70+ degree temps, it decided to snow. So be it.

My iPhone mapping program apparently didn’t have the most recent maps and sent me to BFE instead of to the new medical plaza area in Somerset, KY. I arrived on time, but barely.

When I arrived, I was asked for my insurance card. Not a problem. I was then asked for my social security number. I’m used to avoiding this issue. I’ve not had to raise my voice or tilt my tone over this in many months because I selected an insurance provider that doesn’t require that I use this as a form of identification. I like that. I refuse to give such info to just anyone. It’s unnecessary.

I explained that my group and member number would suffice. They disagreed. They also asked me for a copy of my drivers license. I asked why they needed it. They needed a photo ID. I asked why.

Because, I was told, it would protect me from anyone claiming to be me walking in and getting my private records. It was for my own good, they said. I asked how that would protect me. They said that they made a copy of the photo ID and put it in my file and it was in their computer so they would compare it to anyone asking for my info. I told them I understood and handed them a copy of my business card, which has a photo image on the front.

They said that was unacceptable. They needed an official photo. I regurgitated the reason they had just given me and said (holding the image up to my face) that this should suffice to visually identify me should that need ever arise.

They said it was a new mandate and was going into effect next year. I told them we could discuss it next year. They said that it had to be in order by April 1st for their office. I pointed out that it was not yet the end of March, so I shouldn’t be affected. Long story short… I was denied service because I would not produce my drivers license.

I didn’t really care for their privacy policy either, which stated that I could request that they not share my information, but they had final say on that and although they would take my wishes into consideration, they would do as they pleased. Isn’t that cool? I’m so glad they would consider my wishes about my information. They are so thoughtful!

Might I also add that they got all squirrel-ly when I asked to see a copy of the privacy policy that I was signing the paper to say that I’d been provided. They finally handed me a framed copy under glass, rather than one I could keep with my own records.

They were also a bit huffy when I prepared to leave and asked that my papers (the ones I filled out with my personal information before I was declined service) be returned to me. I was told they would shred them. I told them no, that they would hand them over to me and I would shred them myself. I stood there unmoving, unflinching until the receptionist rightly determined that I’d be less trouble if they just handed over the papers in question than if she continued to decline my request.

I cannot possibly be the only person in the world that refuses to cough up every piece of personal information requested when seeking services. Note that word… SERVICES. I’m paying for them, I should be treated accordingly.

When I went to the local hospital later that same day for some x-rays (it was a whole tripping over the dog in the middle of the night, catching myself in the dark and subsequently spraining my thumb and knocking it completely out of socket incident)… I was not treated like an idiot when I declined to give them my social security number. They always ask, I always decline. It’s not a big deal. They don’t decline to offer me service.

Are people so eager to share this info that they assume that if it’s requested that it’s required? Does no one question these things anymore? Am I just bringing drama to my door by refusing?

I’m Feeling Politically Unpopular Today

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To say I’m pleased with the election results would be a lie.

I’m deeply concerned about this country, probably more so than I have ever been in any given election. I get the feeling that many people voted the way they did because they saw it as a way to shirk their responsibilities.

The thing that keeps coming to mind is the lady who, at the celebratory victory rally, said that she was glad she no longer had to worry about her mortgage or her car payment.

I’m assuming she intends to KEEP both of these items, she just doesn’t want to pay for them anymore. So, by default (isn’t that a great pun?!?) those of us who are responsible and DO pay our bills will get to pay hers as well? Maybe our children and grandchildren can kick in to support (with interest) the quality of life to which she has become accustomed, but no longer desires to afford?

It reminds me of the time when I was in a grocery line with my mother in Danville, Kentucky. The lady in front of us was wearing diamond rings and an “Aigner” coat (which was all the rage at that time), a matching purse and shoes.

These were things that we couldn’t justify (my mother has always been so practical — thank goodness!). When she tried to check out the dog food with her food stamps, she was told that it wasn’t permitted. Her response? She said her dog preferred hamburger anyway — and promptly left the line, went to the meat department, got a 10 pound roll of ground beef and returned to be checked out — while we all stood in awe, mouths agape.

I think that was a pivotal moment in my development. I was probably 12 or 13. It has colored my glasses about welfare programs and these glasses aren’t rosy. I feel that what we have here, is an even bigger version of the same mentality. Put simply, it makes me angry.

When are people going to be responsible and quit expecting the government to parent them?

Some of the propositions that passed also alarm me. I really don’t believe it’s the government’s job to dictate morality, define “family” and determine what is ok in our bedrooms. Apparently, that puts me squarely in the minority these days, too.

Most of my clients and friends are fiscally and politically conservative (with a few notable exceptions). One of my friends commented today, “Welcome to the USSA.” I have to wonder if he’s right.

On another note, the “Civilian National Security Force” scares the crap out of me. It simply does.

So, I’m sitting quietly here in my home office, wondering why I’ve spent my life paying my bills, meeting my obligations (even when people who supposedly share those obligations don’t do their part to help), trying to stay out of debt and avoiding “welfare” type programs — even during those really hard times in my life when I qualified.

I’ve always believed that freedom mattered more than security. I’ve believed in making your own way and cutting back when times were lean. I’ve always been capable of making the tough decisions. I’ve tried to pass this on to my children (whether or not I did this successfully is yet to be seen.)

I wonder “what’s the use?” when people who didn’t behave responsibly are getting bailouts. Like another one of my friends recently quipped, “Where’s my friggin’ financial bailout?!?”

*Not that I’d want one if it cost me my freedom or my privacy — or made me beholden to someone as a result, mind you*

We aren’t educating our children in our schools anymore, I worry that now all we have to educate them is our example… and if that’s the case, we are probably totally screwed.

I think I’m going to go try to find my old weather-beaten copy of 1984 for a quick re-read. I think it’s time.

High-Tech Theft: KY Governor Seizes Domain Names

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governor steve beshear swipes domain names

Kentucky Governor, Steve Beshear --gives orders to swipe domain names

Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear’s Office recently seized 141 domain names belonging to Internet gambling sites. Those names have been transferred, by court order, to the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The DNS information was ordered to stay the same while the court case was being resolved.

There was an outcry this week in a Press Release I received this week by Jim Waters of BIPPS — the Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions:

For Immediate Release
Monday, Oct. 6, 2008

Contact: Jim Waters

270-782-2140

High-tech hijacking: Web site domain names seized, Internet freedom threatened

(Frankfort, Kentucky) – The Commonwealth of Kentucky has taken unprecedented legal action by seizing more than 140 Web site domain names belonging to online gambling sites.

Due to the dangerous and far-reaching implications of this high-tech hijacking, the Bluegrass Institute will hold an emergency summit in Frankfort on Monday, Oct. 6. Timing is critical as the next legal hearing on this issue takes place the following morning, Oct. 7, before the Franklin County Circuit Court.

The Bluegrass Institute urges anyone with an interest in protecting Internet freedom to join us in protest against this egregious action. While the primary focus in this legal matter is online poker, the ramifications extend much farther into the entire realm of online commerce.

This radical approach is disturbing for many reasons. Chief among them is the concept that domain names of Internet sites operating legally in their home nations can be seized by other nations for violation of local laws. This should be of concern to all Americans. If Kentucky is successful, a very dangerous precedent will be set.

The Bluegrass Institute will be joined by several other groups who stand in opposition to Kentucky’s actions. They include the Internet Commerce Association; Interactive Media Entertainment & Gaming Association; Americans for Tax Reform; The Poker Players Alliance and many others who continue to join with this cause.

We will convene a panel discussion on a range of topics requiring immediate action. The meeting is open to the public and all participants will be available for media comment.

The summit will take place at the Capital Plaza Hotel in Frankfort (405 Wilkinson Blvd, Frankfort, KY 40601) at 1 p.m. (EDT) on Monday, Oct. 6. Please RSVP to Jim Waters of the Bluegrass Institute at 270-782-2140 or jwaters@bipps.org.

Bluegrass Institute for Public Policy Solutions
400 E. Main Ave. Suite 306
Bowling Green, KY 42102
www.bipps.org

The court, on October 7th, decided to rule on the case next week, on October 15th. I anxiously await this historic ruling. I can only hope that (as a small Internet business entrepreneur), that my state fails miserably to make this action stick. I’m honestly appalled that they would even try. What a month to be a Kentuckian!

Learn more about this topic here:

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