Clerks in big bureaucrats’ offices and their corporate partners’ offices want all of your personal information prior to providing basic goods and services in some cases. Is the American consumer brain washed or brain dead or both and unaware of the dangers of privacy invasions that occur when personal and confidential data is misused or stolen? Is it any wonder that a stolen identity occurs once every few seconds? Do you know that medical identity theft and business identity theft fraud continue to skyrocket out of control as the public kowtows to the demands of those who want to grab their data and store it in their computer databases for eternity?
For your information, the average business identity theft costs $10,000 and the typical medical identity theft case will cost the consumer a whopping $20,000.
Consumer privacy can be accomplished when assertive communication practices are followed.
Are small towns privacy havens or big bureaucrat traps?
Parts of the Midwest are sparsely populated with small towns. One would think that these folks would be of the freedom living variety. It appears the mindset may be present in some, but the knowledge base is lacking.
While on a family vacation, my wife and I made our way to the local post office to replenish supplies and mail letters. Since I had a couple of the certified variety to mail, I filled out the proper forms and could not help but over hear the conversation between Ms. Postal Clerk and a customer who inquired about renting a post office box.
Was Ms. Clerk interested in telling Mr. New Customer about the features, benefits and advantages of a p.o. box? Did she mention how wonderful their postal service is in “Small Town USA”? Hardly. Instead, she demanded a local drivers license, a utility bill, and asked privacy invasive questions about all who would be living in the gentleman’s house. Further, she demanded their i.d.’s for her verification prior to the renting of a post office box.
Mr. New Customer seemed caught off guard and perhaps a little shocked. After all he was in a town of only a thousand or two. However, he seemed willing to comply and promised to provide all that was requested of the clerk as I completed my business and walked out the door.
Personal privacy is often compromised by providing personal and confidential data to businesses and government agencies.
The receipt of personal and business mail through mail nominees has been used successfully by privacy advocates as described in Privacy Crisis.
Free privacy living information courses are available by e-mail.
Grant Hall wrote a personal privacy e-book, Privacy Crisis: Identity Theft Prevention Plan and Guide to Anonymous Living that is available for purchase and download.
