AboutYan Ross Expertise Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist (CITRMS) -- providing responses to questions on identity theft prevention and restoration for consumers and holders of protected information (Personally Identifiable Information)
Experience Recognized and quoted authority in the area of Identity Theft.
Principal Contributing Author to the Identity Theft Risk Management Study Guide published by the Institute of Consumer Financial Education. Frequent lecturer on this subject to attorneys and other professionals, as well as law enforcement and community groups.
Education/Credentials Bachelor of Arts, Princeton University --
Juris Doctor, Yale Law School --
Accredited Educator for numerous professional disciplines
Education/Credentials Bachelor of Arts, Princeton University --
Juris Doctor, Yale Law School --
Accredited Educator for numerous professional disciplines
Question Hello Yan,
I've filled out a couple of online surveys (provided by peanutlabs.com) for my own reasons. I was told that doing so was a big mistake, despite the fact that the only personal information requested was my full name, the birth dates of me and the members of my household (their names were not given), my e-mail address, state and zip code. This info was requested to see if I qualified for the survey. Extremely personal information such as social security number, phone number, and street address were not requested. Despite the website having a privacy policy, could someone be able to obtain my identity just with a name, date of birth, e-mail, state and zip code? Thank you in advance for your help.
Answer Derrick,
This is a common question, but has no definitive answer.
Without other elements of your identity, the information you sent on the survey is not sufficient for someone to steal your identity.
On the other hand, identity thieves "aggregate" information from different sources and add it all together in a pattern in order to perpetrate their crimes.
In general terms, I'd suggest that the information you have sent in the survey does not place you in danger, but be careful about sharing additional items, such as the ones you mentioned: Social Security Number, financial information, family specifics, and so forth.
I hope that helps. You may submit a follow-up question if you need more clarification.
