I guard my information as much as I can. Do you?

[shaveitoff]

I went online today to download my credit card statement. Turns out before I could get it the company wanted a whole load of information. The wizard for collecting the info started by saying it was necessary.

So just to get my statement, as I've done for years now, it is all of a sudden necessary to give them loads of job, income etc info. I tried to bypass it all by selecting "Other". Even then it basically asks you the same information.

How does this story end? I'm getting my bill by mail now. So they clearly don't need that information to do business with me.

BTW, this is the same company that tried to sell me an identity theft protection service earlier this week. They want to sell me this service on the one hand, and on the other hand they'd happily increase the size of the attack surface I present.

I try hard to keep my information in as few hands as possible. I only use the credit card for the occasional online purchase. I prefer cash for most purchases at stores, so I try to avoid even using a bank card. All databases are hackable, so I try to keep things out of databases. Our wonderful Canadian government (through Statistics Canada) recently asked banks for the full banking records of 500,000 people. The bad publicity put an end to this for now.

I know I can't keep everything out of databases, but I make the effort.

How much do you try to keep data private? Or do you even worry about it at all?

 

[Billski]

I guard my information, and I say few words.

 

[PreachTheWord]

I do a lot of shopping online, but it's only with reputable vendors. I'm careful with my information, but I do realize that for some of the things I want I have to put some of my information out there. I also assess what information is really needed when I'm requesting something. Like the OP, I get suspicious when I'm requesting something simple and keep getting asked too many questions.

 

[RayClem]

Generally, the first time you sign up with a company to access information online, they will ask for confirmation for information like account numbers, address, telephone number, etc. After that, they allow access with your login name and password and occasionally a secondary authentication such as a code sent to your email address. If I have previously accessed an account online and they are then asking for confirmation of information I have supplied previously, then I start to get worried that their web site has been hijacked by a rogue site trying to steel my personal information.

 

[MrLara]

Well, i'm not telling you my last name that's for sure!

 

[Toothpick]

I don’t give it a second thought really. I buy a lot online and just provide what ever info they need to complete the sale. Mostly credit card info. It just the cost of doing business these days.

As far as statements go I don’t get any mailed to me. All electronic. I pay all my bills online. I don’t know how many sites have my credit/debit card info stored. And I really don’t worry about it. It’s 2019, not 1997. If something happens 99% chance I get my money back. If it’s severe then that’s unfortunate but life goes on. The convenience is worth it to me.

 

[Macfrommichigan]

Since going into the witness protection program, everything about me is fake. I'm not even in Michigan. In fact, I'm a 17 year old girl living in Butte, Montana. So, like, I don't worry about this stuff.

 

[RayClem]

I try to make all my online purchases through Paypal. Paypal has my credit card information (I won't give them my bank account). So I have tw3o layers of protection- Paypal and the credit card company.

 

[Rhody]

How a Bitcoin Evangelist Made Himself Vanish, in 15 (Not So Easy) Steps

 

[StillShaving]

You were trying to download a credit card monthly statement?? or a credit report? I thought most if not all credit card companies supported logging using web browser or smartphone app with a username/password.

I try to safeguard information but I think the credit rating agencies have collected most of our information and profit from it without our approval.

 

[shaveitoff]

You were trying to download a credit card monthly statement?? or a credit report? I thought most if not all credit card companies supported logging using web browser or smartphone app with a username/password..

It was just the monthly statement. I was able to log in, but before I could do anything else, I was sent to the data collection wizard. There was no way to cancel out of the wizard and go anywhere else on the website.

 

[shaveitoff]

I try to make all my online purchases through Paypal. Paypal has my credit card information (I won't give them my bank account). So I have tw3o layers of protection- Paypal and the credit card company.

This is the right amount of information to conduct a transaction. This I can live with. I just didn't like the way my credit card provider was trying to grab more info about me.

 

[esswun]

You know what I hate? When they want to scan your license to buy alcohol. I only go to places now where they don't card me (you can tell I'm way over 21 by sight). I don't need my info in a store's internal database to be sold or whatever else they do with it.

 

[davent]

You know what I hate? When they want to scan your license to buy alcohol. I only go to places now where they don't card me (you can tell I'm way over 21 by sight). I don't need my info in a store's internal database to be sold or whatever else they do with it.

Will they sell to you if you don't have a licence?
dave

 

[Mick]

I've had a number of checks made out to turtle.

My bank will deposit anything

 

[esswun]

Will they sell to you if you don't have a licence?
dave

There are places that won't sell if you don't let them scan the ID card. I have other state and Federal ID cards with photo and birth date but no magnetic strip to scan and "store policy" won't allow them to sell without a scanning a driver's license or state id card with strip. The cashiers all claim that "nothing goes into a database" but I'm sure store executives create the statements for the rank and file to spout to customers and the info indeed goes into a database along with my purchase habits. State law requires verification by picture ID but the scanning is just what some stores have decided to do. Well, I don't go to those stores anymore.

 

[Jer78]

Someone from Germany was here doing tech work for a big company. On a work break, we were chatting, and he said that most Germans use prepaid Visa cards so as to anonymize data tracking. An interesting approach.

 

[Stuart Ganis]

Since going into the witness protection program, everything about me is fake. I'm not even in Michigan. In fact, I'm a 17 year old girl living in Butte, Montana. So, like, I don't worry about this stuff.

So the name is real name is MAXINE?

Sent from my QTAQZ3 using Tapatalk

 

[Robbyboxers]

Why do you want to know?

see what I did there.

 

[Bakker1964]

There is no such thing as privacy. Even before you get your first direct deposit cheque from an employer, you are in the system. Depending on the level of effort willing to be exerted, your information can be found, and every single thing about you that has ever occurred can be discovered.

In short, I perform the basic due diligence required of anyone who "travels" the internet, but I no longer concern myself with being fanatical about it.