Do you worry about safety of personal information?
Jun 22, 2007, 1:19 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2007
Location: ORD, DEL
Programs: AA (Plt Pro; 1.5 MM)
Posts: 6,185
Do you worry about safety of personal information?
I am just starting with this sweepstakes and contest thing, and I noticed many of them ask for date of birth, full street address, phone numbers etc.
Now, I don't have serious concerns about AA or Citibank getting my personal info. However, in these days of identity thefts, do you worry about small companies nobody has heard of?
IOW, what is to prevent someone from setting up a website, announcing a sweepstake, collecting tons of names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, etc., and using them for less than wholesome purposes?
Now, I don't have serious concerns about AA or Citibank getting my personal info. However, in these days of identity thefts, do you worry about small companies nobody has heard of?
IOW, what is to prevent someone from setting up a website, announcing a sweepstake, collecting tons of names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, etc., and using them for less than wholesome purposes?
Jun 22, 2007, 7:34 am
#2
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Florida
Posts: 2,872
I am just starting with this sweepstakes and contest thing, and I noticed many of them ask for date of birth, full street address, phone numbers etc.
Now, I don't have serious concerns about AA or Citibank getting my personal info. However, in these days of identity thefts, do you worry about small companies nobody has heard of?
IOW, what is to prevent someone from setting up a website, announcing a sweepstake, collecting tons of names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, etc., and using them for less than wholesome purposes?
Now, I don't have serious concerns about AA or Citibank getting my personal info. However, in these days of identity thefts, do you worry about small companies nobody has heard of?
IOW, what is to prevent someone from setting up a website, announcing a sweepstake, collecting tons of names, addresses, phone numbers, dates of birth, etc., and using them for less than wholesome purposes?
BUT ... there is really no information you're submitting that isn't already out there in cyberspace in one form or another if you've ever signed up for anything anywhere online. There are a couple steps to take to safeguard yourself as much as possible. The first is to use a "throwaway" email address like hotmail, yahoo, gmail, etc. rather than your own personal email address. When the spam gets overwhelming, you simply abandon it and open another. I also choose to not give my correct date of birth on entry forms which could raise a red flag if anyone ever tried to use that information to access my credit. So far that hasn't happened, though (knock on wood). Sponsors don't seem to care, as long as whatever birthdate you use isn't too young for alcohol sponsored sweeps. And I never - but never - give my cell phone number to anyone for anything. If a sweepstakes insists on a real cell phone number, I simply don't enter.
There's an element of chance to virtually everything in life, and with a little common sense you can minimize the risks with sweepstakes - especially since the payoff can be so great. Without sweepstakes wins I would never have traveled to Las Vegas, Bermuda and the La Costa resort, or stocked my "gift" cabinet with iPods, toys and games to give away at Christmas. It is a fun, albeit frequently frustrating, hobby as long as you view it as just that - a hobby and don't take it too seriously.
Jun 23, 2007, 8:03 am
#3
Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 1
Which posting "from about a month ago" was fake? I have been entering contests for quite a while, and about a month ago I started receiving tons of the spam emails that are of the general type of "you've just inherited $10 million in Nigeria". Something triggered it, and I'm guessing it was one of the fake contests I entered.
Jun 25, 2007, 11:41 am
#4
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 21
Your concerns are valid ... and yes there have been fake sweepstakes set up to collect email addresses for spamming. In fact we had one posted here a month or so ago that turned out to be fake.
BUT ... there is really no information you're submitting that isn't already out there in cyberspace in one form or another if you've ever signed up for anything anywhere online. There are a couple steps to take to safeguard yourself as much as possible. The first is to use a "throwaway" email address like hotmail, yahoo, gmail, etc. rather than your own personal email address. When the spam gets overwhelming, you simply abandon it and open another. I also choose to not give my correct date of birth on entry forms which could raise a red flag if anyone ever tried to use that information to access my credit. So far that hasn't happened, though (knock on wood). Sponsors don't seem to care, as long as whatever birthdate you use isn't too young for alcohol sponsored sweeps. And I never - but never - give my cell phone number to anyone for anything. If a sweepstakes insists on a real cell phone number, I simply don't enter.
There's an element of chance to virtually everything in life, and with a little common sense you can minimize the risks with sweepstakes - especially since the payoff can be so great. Without sweepstakes wins I would never have traveled to Las Vegas, Bermuda and the La Costa resort, or stocked my "gift" cabinet with iPods, toys and games to give away at Christmas. It is a fun, albeit frequently frustrating, hobby as long as you view it as just that - a hobby and don't take it too seriously.
BUT ... there is really no information you're submitting that isn't already out there in cyberspace in one form or another if you've ever signed up for anything anywhere online. There are a couple steps to take to safeguard yourself as much as possible. The first is to use a "throwaway" email address like hotmail, yahoo, gmail, etc. rather than your own personal email address. When the spam gets overwhelming, you simply abandon it and open another. I also choose to not give my correct date of birth on entry forms which could raise a red flag if anyone ever tried to use that information to access my credit. So far that hasn't happened, though (knock on wood). Sponsors don't seem to care, as long as whatever birthdate you use isn't too young for alcohol sponsored sweeps. And I never - but never - give my cell phone number to anyone for anything. If a sweepstakes insists on a real cell phone number, I simply don't enter.
There's an element of chance to virtually everything in life, and with a little common sense you can minimize the risks with sweepstakes - especially since the payoff can be so great. Without sweepstakes wins I would never have traveled to Las Vegas, Bermuda and the La Costa resort, or stocked my "gift" cabinet with iPods, toys and games to give away at Christmas. It is a fun, albeit frequently frustrating, hobby as long as you view it as just that - a hobby and don't take it too seriously.
I do the same thing regarding my birthday.
Jun 25, 2007, 12:43 pm
#5
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Aug 2002
Programs: UALifetimePremierGold, Marriott LifetimeTitanium
Posts: 71,134
I don't usually provide a cell number because the one time I did I started getting text messages, and it took a bit of work to get off the text message list. I usually provide my birthday. YVMV. Cheers.
Jun 27, 2007, 7:21 pm
#7
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Florida
Posts: 2,872
Just curious as to why you do not give out your cellphone #? I always do in case that is the method of notification if I have won the contest. I have never had a problem with telemarketers calling that #. But is there another reason not to give out the #, like credit theft?
I do the same thing regarding my birthday.
I do the same thing regarding my birthday.
My reluctance to give out my cell phone number has nothing to do with identity theft. Rather it is because that is the one area I like to keep confined to just family and close friends since I have a perfectly good land line and caller ID to handle other calls. And, as SkiAdcock noted, giving out a cell phone number can lead to unwanted text messages and phone calls at odd hours of the day/night which I find unnecessary. While a few sweepstakes promoters will call to announce a win, most of my win notifications have come by email or FedEx/UPS/DHL, so I am not going to worry about missing out on any simply because I refuse to give my cell phone number.
Jun 28, 2007, 7:57 am
#8
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 474
I only have a cell phone so I have no other phone number to give. Have never had a problem with annoyance calls. My cell number is registered on the "do not call" list as well. I never put anything in the cell number box so I don't get annoying texts. If you have to get texts as part of the contest, I won't enter.
Like the Jan 1 birthday idea. It's kinda like race horses. For racing purposes, every horses b'day is January 1st.
Like the Jan 1 birthday idea. It's kinda like race horses. For racing purposes, every horses b'day is January 1st.
Jul 9, 2007, 6:32 pm
#9
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 1
I just found out about this website last week. I entered a few contests which required a phone number. And now I have Unknown numbers calling me 10 times a day and another number that calls 5 times a day. Each time I happen to miss the call, but still it's getting quite annoying.
Jul 9, 2007, 7:06 pm
#10
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Florida
Posts: 2,872
I just found out about this website last week. I entered a few contests which required a phone number. And now I have Unknown numbers calling me 10 times a day and another number that calls 5 times a day. Each time I happen to miss the call, but still it's getting quite annoying.
Do you have your number listed on the "Do Not Call" list?