AboutYan Ross Expertise Certified Identity Theft Risk Management Specialist -- 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
Expert: Yan Ross Date: 8/28/2007 Subject: Suspicious about a buyer
Question I recently receive an email where an entity was interested in buying an item i had listed online for sale, i am suspicious of this entity and i have given them my full name, home address, and mobile phone number, should i be worried about ID theft and if so what do i do?
Answer Bill,
First, you are correct to exercise care in giving personally identifying information to people or companies you don't know.
If all you have sent them is your name, address, & phone number, it is unlikely that they have enough information to use to steal or otherwise abuse your identity.
If you are going to proceed with the sale of an item, however, be careful about giving any additional information, such as bank account numbers, credit card information, and so forth.
Without knowing more about the sale and means of sale & delivery, it's difficult to provide specific suggestions, but here are a few:
If it involves physical delivery and a formal title [car, boat, etc.], be aware that banks will no longer accept "Cashier's Checks" for immediate credit, as there have apparently been many cases of criminals using fraudulent documents of this nature.
Be wary about giving the Buyer your bank account or other direct payment information, especially if they say they need it to "wire" you money or deposit directly to your account.
If you wish to ask a follow-up question, you are welcome to do so.
