OT: becoming invisible on the internet

Don't use your real addy for usenet - it attracts spam if nothing worse.

Have you looked at listings for telephone numbers online ? Also reverse number lookups ? You can avoid being found there, that's half the battle.

?source=GO000009&KW=telephone_lookup&&s_kwcid=telephone%20lookup|1105982300This might work if the above doesn't.

Do you have a face book listing ? IMO that's revealing too much about yourself.

I regularly check that I do not appear in white page listings, it is often far too easy to find people through the internet. I found a doctor (quite by chance) in Vancouver for someone. She was looking for him because she had known him as a child and knew that he was in the Vancouver area and was a doctor. I couldn't find him on the white or yellow pages but eventually found his name on a published article and it led right to his home. I hate to tell you, it only took me about thirty minutes and I don't rate myself as a very efficient searcher.

However, I am not offering professional advice lol

That is truly an "oh shit" moment. I read Sheena's advice, it's a good start. But honestly, I'd contact the police and ask their advice.

Something I did hear from a friend who works with a government agency is to put things like your utilities in a wife's maiden name.

Hugs -

Cheryl

I am not sure you can, completely, safeguard against this without spending a lot of money. If someone really wants to know your address, practically every phone number site or directory has a link to a "pay for information" site. If someone really wanted to get the information, they could, although they might have to pay for it. However, when it's a cc and you're sitting at your computer, it's pretty easy temptation.

I am sure there are companies that offer to do it for you, but I bet it's expensive and as sheena points out, they could miss something seemingly unrelated - and I bet the more common your name (Bob Smith v. Roberto Gulinforth) the tougher it is to get rid of all traces.

Linda

*snicker*

In my case, everything is in David's name, since I use my "maiden" name professionally (and otherwise). In one case, even my sister couldn't find me, since she couldn't remember his name.

Elizabeth

I'm laughing, mostly thinking of you in context with 'maiden' name lololol

"Cheryl Isaak" wrote >

My name has been exactly the same from birth through two marriages until today. Don't put anything in your name that you are not prepared to take full responsibility for paying, and don't put anything in someone else's name you are not prepared to give them permanently.

Dawne

It seems that that is not entirely true. We have never, ever had a listed number in the state of Delaware. I check each new phone book that we get. Yet our address was still listed in whitepages.com. When I first found out about it (doesn't show up on a google search) I had the listing removed, but if I search with DH's nickname it pops right up again. So I had it removed again. Property records are online in my county, and I don't see any way of preventing that info from being out there. Even though it puts me and DS at personal risk. I hate this.

Sara

I think it this kind of case, if you're trying to hide, you do what you can.

Cheryl

A "trick" for hiding ownership of property is to create a living trust and put property in it. But just use your initials as the name of it, for example the ABC 2008 Revocable Living Trust. This is becoming quite common where I live because not only are assessor and real estate records online, the paper weekly (or at least used to - I don't read the Saturday one often) publishes a list of deeds of trust filed that week.

Linda

"Cheryl Isaak" wrote >> My name has been exactly the same from birth through two marriages until

I sympathize entirely; I had about 10 years of dealing with a stalker. But listing debts and property as belonging to you is something that should be done with real consideration, because it has long term implications. It might be that after considering it, it makes sense to do it, but it isn't a quick trick.

Utility bills are still associated with a municipal address, so if a search starts from an address, rather than a name, a different name on the utilities might add, rather than hide, information to what a person can find out about you.

Dawne

"Dawne Peterson" wrote >>

And after I pushed "send", I wanted to add, doesn't the information age suck sometimes????

Dawne

Are they really finding your addy online or the good, old-fashioned phonebook? Do you have an unlisted number? Have you asked these people where they're finding the info?

Joan

Maybe they found you at zabasearch.

Rosemary

Yes.

Sara

We are not now, nor have we ever been, listed in the phone book. I check every time the new books come out. If I can find my address on line, and I'm doing what I can to obliterate it, then the patients (ex-patients, technically) can too. And I know for a fact that some of these folks have guns, and poor impulse control. I ran the practice, so it's not a HIPAA issue that I know this stuff, just if anyone is concerned. It really is a safety issue for me and my family and there doesn't seem to be much I can do about it.

Sara

I still think you ought to call the police and ask their help.

Cheryl

zabasearch.com has just about anyone I've ever looked up. I believe it's based on drivers license records. They never delete, just add to it when someone has a diff. address. I sure wish we could opt out of such lists.