Scary Situation
#1
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Small town in Northeast Oregon close to Washington and Idaho
Posts: 2,795
Scary Situation
I had my bio up on ebay because I buy quite a bit from there. I put it up 2 years ago and totally forgot I did. I was so stupid that I put in the small town I live in and where I use to work in this very small town.
Well, I placed a quilt for sale on ebay just to see what the market was like and I had a "Rudy" write me a email telling me how pretty my quilt was and how she liked my bio so much. So I wrote back to her after a week (I thought it was weird that she wrote me in the first place) and chatted and asked about her life and she told me she had a 20 month old daughter and how she's 40 and she is glad she waited so long to have a child and and a few more details and then we started emailing each other and I was enjoying visiting with another gal, even though I didn't know her and she didn't quilt. But then she started talking about some different type of things and I suddenly realized that it wasn't a gal I had been sharing my thoughts with but a 40 year old married man. A man!!!! Wow! Freaked me out! So I went to ebay and deleted everything I could delete.
I have a blog and went there and took out my town and other info that I don't want everyone in the world to know. I just thought maybe some of you have info on the web and might be like me and be trusting and not realize what can happen. My husband said that bad people can figure out exactly where you live and who you are and then a whole lot of bad things can happen to you. They can steal your identity, find where you live and stalk you and many more things than I could even think of. I guess there are people out there who do this for a living. So, if you have a bio anyplace, you might rethink what you want to share with the world and all the bad people out there. I am so nervous that I'm taking out everything I need to to keep my identity private.
Just be careful out there.
Well, I placed a quilt for sale on ebay just to see what the market was like and I had a "Rudy" write me a email telling me how pretty my quilt was and how she liked my bio so much. So I wrote back to her after a week (I thought it was weird that she wrote me in the first place) and chatted and asked about her life and she told me she had a 20 month old daughter and how she's 40 and she is glad she waited so long to have a child and and a few more details and then we started emailing each other and I was enjoying visiting with another gal, even though I didn't know her and she didn't quilt. But then she started talking about some different type of things and I suddenly realized that it wasn't a gal I had been sharing my thoughts with but a 40 year old married man. A man!!!! Wow! Freaked me out! So I went to ebay and deleted everything I could delete.
I have a blog and went there and took out my town and other info that I don't want everyone in the world to know. I just thought maybe some of you have info on the web and might be like me and be trusting and not realize what can happen. My husband said that bad people can figure out exactly where you live and who you are and then a whole lot of bad things can happen to you. They can steal your identity, find where you live and stalk you and many more things than I could even think of. I guess there are people out there who do this for a living. So, if you have a bio anyplace, you might rethink what you want to share with the world and all the bad people out there. I am so nervous that I'm taking out everything I need to to keep my identity private.
Just be careful out there.
#4
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: New York
Posts: 1,572
Can you contact EBay and let someone know this has happened? Maybe he can be banned. Scary!!!!! Glad you are OK. I get weird invites to join FaceBook, supposedly from friends- who never knew FB cab steal your address book and send solicitations!
#7
This is really scarey. I am glad you figured it out and yes I would let ebay know. I put some furniture forsale on Craigs list and gat some wierd respones. I don't like this world and all this bad stuff. thanks for letting us know
#8
How sad this is as in this day in age honest people are trying to get by and then idiots have to ruin it for everyone. I am so glad you caught this before anything else happened. Such sick sick twisted people out there.
#9
I no longer have a Facebook page, and won't have one either, because ---- long story short --- I was stalked, photographed and had those photos emailed to me, and shot at --- that's right, with a real rifle --- and e-mailed threatening letters like how he deliberately missed this time and wasn't going to miss next time --- and spent over a week in a police "safe house" because a man tracked me down through Facebook. He's in prison now. Don't want to give more details. Still terrifies me. And I deeply resent all these places that want you to "Like" them on Facebook, or won't give you a coupon unless you "Like" them on Facebook, but you have to have a Facebook Page to do that! Be careful ladies. No one was supposed to get through my Security Wall unless they were my "Friends", and I found out through the police computer crimes lab that that's a joke and almost any grade school student can hack into your information if they want, it's that easy. Be extremely careful about what kind of information you post about yourselves. Stay safe.
#10
Super Member
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: New York
Posts: 1,572
What's more frightening is many prisoners have phone and computer access- and even do computer jobs online for their state! In NY prisoners now man the phone query line for the DMV- supposedly just answering general questions and don't have database access. Doesn't make me very happy! MacThayer- Glad you are safe! Still creeps me out that friends and relatives can post my pic and info online without my permission. I worry every time I see someone posting where they'll be on vacation, and how long they'll be gone. Just reading someone's blog entries can give way too much info. Many medical records are outsourced to India! There's no privacy any more.
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