UPS is watching you!

[Edge]

Went to UPS website to track a package....seems harmless enough right?

Then I see a tab called MyUPS. Seems you can register for free and be able to receive alerts via text or email as to the status of your delivery, and even reroute the package to somewhere else if you wont be home to receive it.

Sounds good, I figure I'll sign up for it since it is a free service, and I work various hours at any given time. I live in a high traffic area, and do not trust leaving a package sit at my door for anyone to grab when I'm not home!!

I go through the usual registration process - name, address, phone, date of birth (odd question, but whatever), create a log-on ID, and password. Great, thats about it.

Then, a disturbing security questionaire appears in the final step of the registration process. The 3 or 4 questions are all multiple choice. The security questions are basically to make sure you are who you say you are, and so that no one else can fraudulently log on to UPS and reroute your packages and steal them. I understand that and sounds like a good idea.

However - the information they displayed dated back to 1990, and even involved acknowledging my mothers remarried name and birthdate. Along with various residences (which at that time, I never dealt with UPS). All of the info displayed was info that I had never given to UPS, nor authorized it's release. It became apparent that they knew as much or more about my personal life than the government.!!

In short, UPS knows where you have lived, and worked since at least 1990. They know who your parents are, where they have lived and worked since then. They know the birth dates of your immediate family as I have just discovered. Keep in mind this is all without disclosing any information what-so-ever. No SS#, Driver's license # or personal info was ever given to them at any time, yet they know all!!

My question is - Is this legal? Kinda freaks me out that UPS of all things is like Big Brother in disguise. I mean, I order some Bengal gear, and they deliver it. Nuff said. What's with the complete dossier on you and your families background?!

[Helldog]

Originally Posted by Edge

Went to UPS website to track a package....seems harmless enough right?

Then I see a tab called MyUPS. Seems you can register for free and be able to receive alerts via text or email as to the status of your delivery, and even reroute the package to somewhere else if you wont be home to receive it.

Sounds good, I figure I'll sign up for it since it is a free service, and I work various hours at any given time. I live in a high traffic area, and do not trust leaving a package sit at my door for anyone to grab when I'm not home!!

I go through the usual registration process - name, address, phone, date of birth (odd question, but whatever), create a log-on ID, and password. Great, thats about it.

Then, a disturbing security questionaire appears in the final step of the registration process. The 3 or 4 questions are all multiple choice. The security questions are basically to make sure you are who you say you are, and so that no one else can fraudulently log on to UPS and reroute your packages and steal them. I understand that and sounds like a good idea.

However - the information they displayed dated back to 1990, and even involved acknowledging my mothers remarried name and birthdate. Along with various residences (which at that time, I never dealt with UPS). All of the info displayed was info that I had never given to UPS, nor authorized it's release. It became apparent that they knew as much or more about my personal life than the government.!!

In short, UPS knows where you have lived, and worked since at least 1990. They know who your parents are, where they have lived and worked since then. They know the birth dates of your immediate family as I have just discovered. Keep in mind this is all without disclosing any information what-so-ever. No SS#, Driver's license # or personal info was ever given to them at any time, yet they know all!!

My question is - Is this legal? Kinda freaks me out that UPS of all things is like Big Brother in disguise. I mean, I order some Bengal gear, and they deliver it. Nuff said. What's with the complete dossier on you and your families background?!

What are you talking about dude? Overreaction much? They don't know **** until you fill in the answers. They're security questions so if someone attempts to mess with your account, they won't know answers to questions like this. UPS and many other businesses have these type of questions as their security questions. I can't believe this is your first experience with them, but simmer down buddy, Geez.

[Ron Mexico]

Originally Posted by Helldog

What are you talking about dude? Overreaction much? They don't know **** until you fill in the answers. They're security questions so if someone attempts to mess with your account, they won't know answers to questions like this. UPS and many other businesses have these type of questions as their security questions. I can't believe this is your first experience with them, but simmer down buddy, Geez.

Ha....no seriously....some places ask you questions to verify who you are. They already know the answers and if you type in the wrong thing, you're screwed. They even knew my first pet's name, what I wanted to be when I grew up as a child, and what number I'm thinking of.

[berserkerone88]

Originally Posted by Ron Mexico

Ha....no seriously....some places ask you questions to verify who you are. They already know the answers and if you type in the wrong thing, you're screwed. They even knew my first pet's name, what I wanted to be when I grew up as a child, and what number I'm thinking of.

That's not hard to know for you.

1. Valtrex
2. Verde's husband.
3. 69

[Ron Mexico]

Originally Posted by berserkerone88

That's not hard to know for you.

1. Valtrex
2. Verde's husband.
3. 69

....dammit. Anyone could steal my identity.

[berserkerone88]

Originally Posted by Ron Mexico

....dammit. Anyone could steal my identity.

Yeah but when the took the DNA most of us would be cleared

[Edge]

Originally Posted by Helldog

What are you talking about dude? Overreaction much? They don't know **** until you fill in the answers. They're security questions so if someone attempts to mess with your account, they won't know answers to questions like this. UPS and many other businesses have these type of questions as their security questions. I can't believe this is your first experience with them, but simmer down buddy, Geez.

Not over-reacting, and, Never filled the answers. And I already mentioned that I understood why they were asking.

My point was, how do they know all of this info without me ever giving it to them in the first place? Not being nutz about it, just concerns me how they have a lot of deep info on anyone.

The multiple choice answers they had listed for me to choose from included various addresses which I had lived dating back to 1990. My mothers maiden, and current married name, fathers middle name, birth dates of both parents..... this was info I had never given to UPS at any time, yet they list it all within the multple choice answers for me to choose from.

[berserkerone88]

Originally Posted by Edge

Not over-reacting, and, Never filled the answers. And I already mentioned that I understood why they were asking.

My point was, how do they know all of this info without me ever giving it to them in the first place? Not being nutz about it, just concerns me how they have a lot of deep info on anyone.

The multiple choice answers they had listed for me to choose from included various addresses which I had lived dating back to 1990. My mothers maiden, and current married name, fathers middle name, birth dates of both parents..... this was info I had never given to UPS at any time, yet they list it all within the multple choice answers for me to choose from.

Have you ever supplied them with credit card info? SS numbers? Or just the simple fact for a few bucks you can learn that about most people.

[RhythmicGeek]

Originally Posted by Edge

Not over-reacting, and, Never filled the answers. And I already mentioned that I understood why they were asking.

My point was, how do they know all of this info without me ever giving it to them in the first place? Not being nutz about it, just concerns me how they have a lot of deep info on anyone.

The multiple choice answers they had listed for me to choose from included various addresses which I had lived dating back to 1990. My mothers maiden, and current married name, fathers middle name, birth dates of both parents..... this was info I had never given to UPS at any time, yet they list it all within the multple choice answers for me to choose from.

That information is all in a database that a variety of companies use in order to carry out identification verifications. Credit card companies, banks, UPS, many different companies and organizations. They don't have the information, but they have access to it for those sorts of things.

[Edge]

Originally Posted by berserkerone88

Have you ever supplied them with credit card info? SS numbers? Or just the simple fact for a few bucks you can learn that about most people.

True, probably one of those privacy sharing things that companies do. But I have never given UPS any SS number info, Driver number, or paid for shipping or services with a credit card.

The only time I have anything delivered from UPS or FedEx is when I order sports gear or something from NFL.COM, MLB.COM, Crutchfield, auto parts, etc... maybe 6 or 7 times a year perhaps? Beyond that, I have no dealings with them, let alone give them any kind of personal info.

Now that you mention it, I wonder if the info is obtained from any of those merchants you purchase from...

[Edge]

Originally Posted by RhythmicGeek

That information is all in a database that a variety of companies use in order to carry out identification verifications. Credit card companies, banks, UPS, many different companies and organizations. They don't have the information, but they have access to it for those sorts of things.

Ok. I'm guessing this is the likely scenario. Just concerned me to some degree, how UPS of all things had all my personal info. My first thought when I saw all of it listed was "They just need to deliver my Bengals hoodie for christsake!! What's with the background info & how did they get it?"

[crispy]

Originally Posted by Edge

Not over-reacting, and, Never filled the answers. And I already mentioned that I understood why they were asking.

My point was, how do they know all of this info without me ever giving it to them in the first place? Not being nutz about it, just concerns me how they have a lot of deep info on anyone.

The multiple choice answers they had listed for me to choose from included various addresses which I had lived dating back to 1990. My mothers maiden, and current married name, fathers middle name, birth dates of both parents..... this was info I had never given to UPS at any time, yet they list it all within the multple choice answers for me to choose from.

Welcome to the computer age. Anythinng you've ever supplied or any database with your info will be collected and build a "profile" about you. Let me guess, there was some information that they had about you that wasn't correct or was close but not accurate? It's like this, my sister called me up in a panic saying that there is this website that has a bunch of information on you and making it public. She said her daughter told her about it and she looked and it has anyone you look up on there and if you don't want your name on it they will remove it for 20 buckes. I asked if it had my SSN and she said no then I said I don't give a ****. She was freaking out cause it had past addresses, phone numbers and other crap. It also had my wrong age, wrong income and some wrong phone numbers and addresses. I told her to quit freaking out it's just some website pulling in information from all sorts of sources and preying on your ignorance to scare you into giving them money to take your info off the database. The info is out there and the ability to pull it together and connect the dots isn't that difficult, you just have to decide whether what they have or not is really that harmful.

[Helldog]

Originally Posted by Edge

Not over-reacting, and, Never filled the answers. And I already mentioned that I understood why they were asking.

My point was, how do they know all of this info without me ever giving it to them in the first place? Not being nutz about it, just concerns me how they have a lot of deep info on anyone.

The multiple choice answers they had listed for me to choose from included various addresses which I had lived dating back to 1990. My mothers maiden, and current married name, fathers middle name, birth dates of both parents..... this was info I had never given to UPS at any time, yet they list it all within the multple choice answers for me to choose from.

Oh my apologies then I missed that part. My boss was close by Lol.

[RhythmicGeek]

Originally Posted by Edge

True, probably one of those privacy sharing things that companies do. But I have never given UPS any SS number info, Driver number, or paid for shipping or services with a credit card.

The only time I have anything delivered from UPS or FedEx is when I order sports gear or something from NFL.COM, MLB.COM, Crutchfield, auto parts, etc... maybe 6 or 7 times a year perhaps? Beyond that, I have no dealings with them, let alone give them any kind of personal info.

Now that you mention it, I wonder if the info is obtained from any of those merchants you purchase from...

A lot of it is government information. If you think about it, all they need is a name and your current address and the information from the DMV will flow.

[Edge]

Originally Posted by crispy

Welcome to the computer age. Anythinng you've ever supplied or any database with your info will be collected and build a "profile" about you. Let me guess, there was some information that they had about you that wasn't correct or was close but not accurate? It's like this, my sister called me up in a panic saying that there is this website that has a bunch of information on you and making it public. She said her daughter told her about it and she looked and it has anyone you look up on there and if you don't want your name on it they will remove it for 20 buckes. I asked if it had my SSN and she said no then I said I don't give a ****. She was freaking out cause it had past addresses, phone numbers and other crap. It also had my wrong age, wrong income and some wrong phone numbers and addresses. I told her to quit freaking out it's just some website pulling in information from all sorts of sources and preying on your ignorance to scare you into giving them money to take your info off the database. The info is out there and the ability to pull it together and connect the dots isn't that difficult, you just have to decide whether what they have or not is really that harmful.

I hear ya. I guess the tech world has blown by me so fast i'm slow to realize what's actually out there! I work with graphics software, Mac's & PC's everyday - by the time I come home the last thing I want to see is a computer, phone, or tablet - let alone anything with social media. So I'm out of the loop when it comes to understanding what info is out there and how damaging it can be. Ignorant to ignore I suppose, but I guess thats why this whole thing took me by surprise!

[Edge]

Originally Posted by Helldog

Oh my apologies then I missed that part. My boss was close by Lol.

All good. I tend to slur my words together in a random incoherant bipolar fashion at times, it'll confuse anyone that actually reads anything I say!

[Nebuchadnezzar]

Nothing is secure on the Internet, absolutely nothing. Every time you log on to a website, that website automatically knows your IP address, Internet Service Provider, name, address and phone number. From that information, they can get every ounce of information about you that is public record. Seriously, you can go to the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts website and look up everything from parking tickets to every court case you have ever been in in Hamilton County. It's all public record and it will be used against you.