How do you react, when total strangers request personal information from/of/about you?

This can be via any means you choose, such as in person, via e-mail or snal-mail solicitations or on the phone.

The ones I seem to get the most are phone callers, who falsely claim that they are doing a “survey,” then at the end, request my name, gender, age, DOB, street address, etc. It’s usually an attempt at identity theft, of course.

I usually play along with them, until they get to the identifying stuff, and then I give them the name and address of someone who is deceased.

In a person-to-person situation, when I am asked something that is clearly none of the asker’s business, I just respond with, “I’m sorry, but I’m under a court order at this time, not to reveal or discuss that information with anyone.”

When I get a telephone call where a stranger asks for me by name, I’ll respond with, “Why do you wish to speak with him?”

If they respond with information that indicates it is a sales call, I reply, “You mean you don’t know that he DIED, about three months ago?”

Please listen to TOM MABE, and how he handles sales calls. This is outrageous!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un_PjRXV5l8

September 3, 2008, 10:38 PM EDT