Do we reveal TOO much?

Some people have the gift of gab. They talk and talk and talk and talk and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Everyone loves a nice and sometimes long conversation every now and then. The problem comes into to play is when we REVEAL too much. Sometimes we give out information that can be detrimental in one way or another. We give out information to people who do not need it, who should not have it, or DO NOT DESERVE IT. Some times we freely give out information like: where we live, our birth dates, our social security numbers, our addresses, how much we make, whether we own property or not, how much money we have in the bank, whether we have stocks or bonds, whether we get social security, our credit rating, our tax write offs, our health benefits, our retirement info., our spouses name as well as other financial status'. These things are private and should only be given out when totally necessary. Our business should be our business. What is private should remain PRIVATE! IN OUR TRUSTING INNOCENCE we may reveal information that can be used against us. We can have information that makes us happy and may decide to share it with others but there is only one problem. Some people do not feel the same way as we do. SOME PEOPLE DO NOT WANT TO SEE US HAPPY! They want to see us unhappy, unfulfilled and sad. Some people are very JEALOUS and are what is considered HATERS! So be careful who you talk to, be careful who you reveal information to. Please be careful who you trust. WHAT DO THEY DO WITH OUR INFORMATION? (1) Some people are so LOW DOWN and dirty that they steal our information and use it for monetary gain. THIS IS CALLED IDENTITY THEFT. People assume the identity of others by pretending to be the other person. They use this information to get apartments, cars, jobs, jewelry, credit cards, bank loans, etc... just to name a few. Identity theft is definitely on the HIGH rise. It is a BILLION dollar business. How do you protect yourself? Here are some tips: (A) Do not and I repeat DO NOT carry your social security cards in your wallet or write it on your checks. Only give it out when it is absolutely necessary. (B) By all means protect your PIN. Never write down a PIN on a credit or debit card or on a slip of paper, even if you keep it in your wallet. That is a NO, NO. (C) Watch out for those who are called "surfers". It is important to use your free hand to shield the keypad when using pay phones and ATMs. (D) Make sure you collect your mail promptly. Ask the Post Office if they can put your mail on hold when you are away from home for more than a day or two. (E) Pay attention to the billing cycles. If bills or financial statements are late, contact the sender. (E) Keep your receipts. Ask for carbon and incorrect charge slips as well. Make sure you compare receipts with account statement. Watch for unauthorized transactions. (F) Tear and/or shred unwanted receipts, credit card offers, account statement, expired cards, etc.. to prevent DUMPSTER DIVERS from getting personal information. (G) Do not respond to unsolicited requests for personal information, whether it is by mail, over the phone, over the internet or in person. (H) Install firewalls and virus-detection software on your home computer. (I) Check your credit report once a year. Check it more frequently if you suspect someone has gotten access to your account information. Each individual is entitled, free of charge, a credit report from EACH of the reporting agencies. The agencies are Equifax, Experian, and Transunion. Check out ANNUALCREDITREPORT.COM, make sure they are FREE! THERE YOU HAVE IT! My take on the matter. Please SUBSCRIBE, SHARE, LIKE AND COMMENT! Until the next time people, BE SAFE, BE CAREFUL, BE VIGILANT AND DO NOT REVEAL TOO MUCH INFO.!