| #: |
From / Date: |
Question / Answer: |
| 7932. |
Martin
Topanga, CA Age: 57 Aug 13, 2010
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Re: 7920 Moving On
Getting your own credit report and giving it to the landlord gives you the chance to doctor the report, which is why they will want to get it themselves.
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| 7931. |
Martin
Topanga, CA Age: 57 Aug 13, 2010
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USPS Address Change / Forwarding
The USPS shares address change data for permanent changes with magazine, credit card and other companies. For temporary changes, they are not supposed to do this, but one time they mistakenly treated a temporary order I put in, as a permanent one. Since then I have never put in a change of address with the PO, just closed the box.
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| 7930. |
Susan
Cleveland, OH Age: 54 Aug 13, 2010
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Questioning college - mainstream media
Even the mainstream media is beginning to question the wisdom and costs of going to college. The article in the link is still largely pro-college, but it does plant some doubts in the minds of readers.
Submitted Link #1: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38561562/ns/business-p...
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| 7929. |
Martin
Topanga, CA Age: 57 Aug 13, 2010
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Private medical testing
I have only high-deductible insurance and wanted to get some medical tests done. (Complete blood/urine panel.)
Found a company that allows pseudonymous testing; you pay with a money order by mail, or prepaid credit card, then get the tests done at a local medical lab, same one that docs use.
Remember your pseudonym, date of birth and age as you will be asked a couple of times when getting tested. This is just to make sure they're not mixing your specimens with someone else's. Choose a date of birth witin 1-2 years of your own since normal levels for some blood components depend on your age.
You then get the results via email.
This service is not available in a couple of states. I don't know whether this just means you cannot say you live in that state or you can't go to a lab in that state. Here's the link to the one I used but there are others.
Submitted Link #1: http://www.privatemdlabs.com...
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| 7928. |
Martin
Topanga, CA Age: 57 Aug 13, 2010
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#7924 PO Box stakeout
I believe mine (or someone else's) was staked out by a news reporter. One day when getting my mail saw someone lingering by the boxes, who appeared fishy. I didn't go to my POB, instead bought stamps from th machine. I returned couple of hours later with some letters to mail, same guy was still there!!! Again I stayed away from my POB. On way out saw someone with a huge professional TV camera on the passenger seat.
In addition to Jack's suggestions,
1) Don't get your mail often. Instead of daily, maybe go weekly, and not on a regular schedule. Makes the stakeout expensive.
2) in case you are being watched not from the box area but with binoculars from the parking lot, stand in front of the box so no one can see which box you're opening.
3) if you have 24 hour access (some CMRAs as well as Post offices will give you a key or door code) go when the office is closed, anyone loitering will stick out like a sore thumb.
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| 7927. |
Randy
Johnston, IA Age: 47 Aug 13, 2010
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Web Photos That Reveal Secrets, Like Where You Live
From the article at the link below:
"Security experts and privacy advocates have recently begun warning about the potential dangers of geotags, which are embedded in photos and videos taken with GPS-equipped smartphones and digital cameras. Because the location data is not visible to the casual viewer, the concern is that many people may not realize it is there; and they could be compromising their privacy, if not their safety, when they post geotagged media online."
Submitted Link #1: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Web-Photos-That-Reve...
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| 7926. |
Rachael
Seattle, WA Age: 36 Aug 13, 2010
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Cocktail shaker repurposed as cell phone Faraday cage
#7981 led me to the linked article which reminded me I have wondered about having something around if I wanted to make sure my iPhone was cut off from the outside world. I can't guarantee this is foolproof, but my tests consisted of putting my phone inside and waiting a couple of minutes, trying to call it, text it, taking it out a few minutes later and discovering that it had totally lost its signal and was "searching" and did not know about the calls I made to the enclosed iPhone during the test. The text came in as soon as a signal was acquired. The effectiveness of this suggests a direction for further investigation. Perhaps there are other similarly-designed water mugs/bottles entirely enclosed in metal that would also work?
The nice thing is it's an object with another purpose, so it's not a completely strange thing to be carrying, although it is bulky.
Note that it's double-walled stainless steel, which probably helps. I tried this in a chrome ice bucket (with chrome lid) and it didn't block the signal at all.
Submitted Link #1: http://www.oxo.com/p-854-shaker.aspx...
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| 7925. |
Lewis
Athens, GA Age: 40 Aug 12, 2010
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Cops love iPhone data trail
Excerpt:
"...iPhones generally store more data than other high-end phones and investigators...frequently can tap in to that information for evidence...when you hit the delete button, it's never really deleted...the phone itself automatically shoots and stores hundreds of such images...could recover months of typing in the order in which it was typed, even if the e-mail or text it was part of has long since been deleted."
Submitted Link #1: http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/2553828,CST-NWS...
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| 7924. |
Fred
Los Angeles, CA Age: 35 Aug 12, 2010
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PO Box stakeout
Greetings, Mr Luna. (1) Have you heard of P.I.'s staking out a P.O. Box to find someone, and if so (2) what precautions would you take to foil their attempt to find you?
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(1) Yes, but it is expensive. One method is to mail a large yellow box to that address. The PI watches to see who emerges with that box, and then follows him or her.
... (2) I would send a female friend in to get the mail, with instructions not to pick up any packages. She would make sure she was not followed.
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| 7922. |
Paul
Richmond, VA Age: 38 Aug 12, 2010
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Passport application, unpaid/unfiled taxes
If I apply for a passport with unpaid and/or unfiled federal tax returns, will this trigger action by the IRS? Will it prevent me from getting a passport? I do intend to settle with the IRS, soon.
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The one way to find out for sure is to apply for the passport. The worse that can happen is that they will say no.
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| 7921. |
Matt Harris
Houston, TX Age: 33 Aug 12, 2010
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Simon Gift Cards
Simon gift cards have been recommended on here for quite a while. However, there is a big issue with them. They cannot be used for recurring payments. I personally have some payments such as Amazon web cloud and others that must be done in this manner. What is the solution while maintaining privacy? Is there another superior card?
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| 7920. |
bailey
savannah , georgia Age: 32 Aug 11, 2010
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moving on
first let me say thank you so much for being you. the information you provide is hard to find yet necessary for some, like me, who is just learning exactly how much of a fish bowl i lived in without realizing it. learning the truth left me broken.
so my question is ... for relocation purposes, with the intent to keep a private address and location, when the landlord asks for a credit report, WHAT IF, i offer to do my own credit report from my own computer which is protected by the tor proxy scrambler.
would this ensure ULTIMATE privacy??
it sounds logical, but i'm new to this and need help making sure i got it right. please let me know. thanx. -broken bailey-
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You might try a search on this site for "landlord" or "renting." Most managers will require your SSN so they can run a credit report. The only solution may be to find the owner of a small apartment building who will accept cash in advance for, like, six months, in lieu of the report.
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| 7919. |
Lee
Phila, PA Age: 41 Aug 11, 2010
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Checks printed
Whenever having checks printed by a private company (not through the bank) I have often encountered resistance in having only my first initial and last name printed, though after insisting thwy relented.
Another possibility is to print your own checks. Office supply stores do sell blank check stock as well as magnetic ink toner (regular black toner will not work when the bank machines try to process the check.) You could print J. Smith, or J.S., or even no name at all, as if they were starter checks.
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I have had no trouble whatsover in having checks printed with three initials, no address. Try http://checkworks.com.
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| 7918. |
Lee
Philadelphia, PA Age: 41 Aug 11, 2010
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Credit Card for Additional User
In the past I have requested a second card in on my account, for a second user. That name is now searchable on databases such as Intelius.
I have NOT USED that name for any other purpose. Don't know whether a second credit file was created for that name. It does NOT show up as an AKA on my own credit report.
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| 7917. |
Sebastian
Knxoville, TN Age: 60 Aug 11, 2010
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#7904 Property Management idea
You will have to file at least one tax return with the IRS, but the return will show no profit and you can check the box for that tax return to be the final tax return.
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| 7916. |
Jay
Boston, MA Age: 29 Aug 10, 2010
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Re: Phone Number
Also, for a quick phone number, or some free long distance, Google Voice is now open to the public.
Google Voice tip: you don't have to fully register/verify your phone number with Google to get messages. Sign up for an account using a mailinator.com address, get up to about Step 3 where you have already chosen a PIN and it's asking for your phone number. Sign out. Then, call up the number from another phone. Press * until it asks you for your PIN. Press 2 to skip the greeting setup. You can then listen to messages or make outbound calls.
Submitted Link #1: https://voice.google.com...
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| 7915. |
Jay
Boston, MA Age: 29 Aug 10, 2010
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Re: Phone Number
Many department stores and electronics stores carry pre-paid phones. I recommend T-Mobile, because you can usually get a phone, SIM, and $3 credit included for about $20. Perfect for 10-20 mins of calling depending on plan, and it can be activated online or through an automated phone system which you could call from a payphone. (Keep in mind when they ask for your city or zip code, that is only for assigning you a number in that area, you could choose anywhere they offer service.)
Submitted Link #1: http://www.preferrednumbers.com/...
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| 7914. |
Brenda
austin, tx Age: 41 Aug 10, 2010
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LLC Invisible Ownership Transfers
In the car invisible ownership transfer section of the How to be Invisible book, it states in the 2nd paragraph "however if he sells the car to a 3rd party, the sale would go through as any other"(so that sales tax and fees would have to be paid).
Then in the next paragraph, it says "if your brother in law wants to buy the car later, you hand him the articles and take the cash". Then only two things need to be done: change the name of the principle driver with the insurance co. and change the address with the dept. of motor vehicles.
Why would a 3rd party have to pay sales tax but the brother in law does not have to pay sales tax? Aren't they both 3rd parties?
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One paragraph refer to selling a car.The other paragraph refers to selling the LLC, which is totally different.
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| 7913. |
Jan
Seattle, WA Age: 22 Aug 10, 2010
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Phone number
Anyone know of a site where i can get a working temporary use phone number for a day?
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k7.net but you can't answer the phone personally.
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| 7912. |
Jan
Seattle, WA Age: 22 Aug 10, 2010
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Apartment
Using a nominee is not a good idea as JJL said. But, I have been having troulbe finding an apartment under the HTBI guidelines as far as most places requesting/demanding an SSN#. Anu ideas?
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Do a search on this forum.
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