Caution Seniors: Think 2x to 3x about answering personal questions here

VintageBetter

VintageBetter

Senior Member
Hi, In case you don't know, bad people can track down your IP address from where you post. What is your IP address? You can check in any number of ways, but here is one site:

What is my IP Address - IP Address Lookup.

Every device you use online has an IP address. IP address - Wikipedia

There are many sites that will check your IP. This, plus any other private info you post, can empower bad people to actually find your real, physical address. I do not know how they do it. They use a variety of tools and websites that I do not know specifically about, but cyber criminals know how to do this.

This is one reason why I think Facebook is EVIL. On FB, it requires your real name. Is it any wonder then how many people have been used, abused and even tracked down and killed thanks to evil Facebook because it refuses to give users safety?

Just do a Google Search of your name and chances are, any number of websites will reveal your physical address.

ANYWAY, a good rule of thumb is to not talk about your personal information. Here, many of us will discuss health issues, but unless you're posting the name of your doctor, hospital, your blood type, your last cholesterol numbers, really specific stuff, I don't see how they can use that against us. We're aging. GUILTY of AGING, as charged. Not breaking any laws - just aging.

Anyway - just be super-careful. Most of us have done this, talked about personal stuff, but in my case not covering up for my ex-spouse's abuse is part of my freedom and healing. Nothing I say can hurt him. He's rich and well-connected. He's as safe as can be, IMO. But when I saw Holly talking about her divorce I felt it was important for me to be able to say a bit about mine. Just a bit

BE SAFE out here in the Big World.
 

Very true. I think sometimes we (all people, not just seniors) forget how much of our lives are out there for all to see.
I may be wrong, but I think you can sign up for facebook using a made up name. I know of several people who have. A former friend has had several accounts over the years using different aliases
 
Marie5656 said:
Very true. I think sometimes we (all people, not just seniors) forget how much of our lives are out there for all to see.
I may be wrong, but I think you can sign up for facebook using a made up name. I know of several people who have. A former friend has had several accounts over the years using different aliases
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I have not been there for a long time so I don't know.

I found at least one of my friends on FB had a duplicate account someone had made in her name. Can you contact FB about that when it happens? Not easily.

I think it's highly irresponsible to run a company so large and so wealthy and not have a way for people to contact a real human being when they are serious problems like impersonation. But Facebook doesn't care.
 
I shudder at the question "Do you live alone"?

Answer: Just me and my ten pit bulls, trained to attack at a moment's notice.
VintageBetter said:
Hi, In case you don't know, bad people can track down your IP address from where you post. What is your IP address? You can check in any number of ways, but here is one site:

What is my IP Address - IP Address Lookup.

Every device you use online has an IP address. IP address - Wikipedia

There are many sites that will check your IP. This, plus any other private info you post, can empower bad people to actually find your real, physical address. I do not know how they do it. They use a variety of tools and websites that I do not know specifically about, but cyber criminals know how to do this.

This is one reason why I think Facebook is EVIL. On FB, it requires your real name. Is it any wonder then how many people have been used, abused and even tracked down and killed thanks to evil Facebook because it refuses to give users safety?

Just do a Google Search of your name and chances are, any number of websites will reveal your physical address.

ANYWAY, a good rule of thumb is to not talk about your personal information. Here, many of us will discuss health issues, but unless you're posting the name of your doctor, hospital, your blood type, your last cholesterol numbers, really specific stuff, I don't see how they can use that against us. We're aging. GUILTY of AGING, as charged. Not breaking any laws - just aging.

Anyway - just be super-careful. Most of us have done this, talked about personal stuff, but in my case not covering up for my ex-spouse's abuse is part of my freedom and healing. Nothing I say can hurt him. He's rich and well-connected. He's as safe as can be, IMO. But when I saw Holly talking about her divorce I felt it was important for me to be able to say a bit about mine. Just a bit

BE SAFE out here in the Big World.
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That's why it's useful to use something like a VPN where your IP Address and physical location is hidden. But lately some websites don't allow users to get on with a VPN.
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I have a large peon level website and yes statistics I receive from the web hosting service shows that level of IP information on who accesses my site with considerable more details. I am a favorite destination for lots of robots haha.

thread title is:
Caution Seniors: Think 2x to 3x about answering personal questions here

thread title should be:
Caution Seniors: Think 2x to 3x about answering personal questions on some untrustable web sites

Look... there is almost zero chance Matrix our admin is going to be selling that kind of information to others. And no. NO, the rest of the public including your buddies herein cannot view that information. If members found out it would be a public relations disaster. Now cannot say same about some of those vast social media sites given history.

All Internet websites people visit are the same in regards to the IP packets containing source and destination information so the packets know where they are going to. Someone plugged into a network directly with a wireshark packet sniffer can find out much more. But really, knowing IP addresses of peons on a small web board like this taint going to make anyone rich. :) Thus no reasons to feel paranoid. For those that visit some kinds of morally questionable sites of which the free internet has myriad, yes YES one can expect some one the other end are not going to treat your identities with respect if a buck is to be made.
 
Got it about IP addresses. What's missing is being careful about sharing your information with folks you don't really know but think you do, because we're all just a big happy family and we know each other very well already. That'not true although it works better for male than for female members. I'm talking about person to person online interactions. Some people are here to meet other people for friendship and companionship. Nothing wrong with that except to be careful about what you see yourself sharing before you really know a person.

Olivia
 
David777 said:
I have a large peon level website and yes statistics I receive from the web hosting service shows that level of IP information on who accesses my site with considerable more details. I am a favorite destination for lots of robots haha.

thread title is:
Caution Seniors: Think 2x to 3x about answering personal questions here

thread title should be:
Caution Seniors: Think 2x to 3x about answering personal questions on some untrustable web sites

Look... there is almost zero chance Matrix our admin is going to be selling that kind of information to others. And no. NO, the rest of the public including your buddies herein cannot view that information. If members found out it would be a public relations disaster. Now cannot say same about some of those vast social media sites given history.

All Internet websites people visit are the same in regards to the IP packets containing source and destination information so the packets know where they are going to. Someone plugged into a network directly with a wireshark packet sniffer can find out much more. But really, knowing IP addresses of peons on a small web board like this taint going to make anyone rich. :) Thus no reasons to feel paranoid. For those that visit some kinds of morally questionable sites of which the free internet has myriad, yes YES one can expect some one the other end are not going to treat your identities with respect if a buck is to be made.
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It's not about selling information.

If people reveal a lot of personal info, and a tech savvy person can figure out their IP, that's about all they need to start, right?

OR, on FB, they don't even need to know how to discover IPs. They can just track victims by where they live as stated on FB. Your ZIP CODE can be an indicator of your wealth. (Unless your zip code is to a PO Box in Beverly Hills, for example. Then it's just a P.O. Box and you could actually live in a low income area. )

For example, the butchering victim I posted about the other day - this man: Dennis Jones. How did he meet the woman who inspired him to invest? On Facebook, right? FB didn't sell her any of Dennis' info. He probably didn't set his privacy settings effectively there, he was divorced and lonely as so many of us are, and she reached out to him on FB. https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/17/asia/pig-butchering-scam-southeast-asia-dst-intl-hnk/index.html

Oh Facebook, how I hate thee. Let me count the ways....

We have been BAMBOOZLED if we believe Meta corporate officers when they say they are just trying to "connect" the world. Connect the world to WHOM? Can we ask that question? BAMBOOZLED!

I'm not implying these are friendly, normal-tech-intelligence people finding out IPs of posters anywhere. I'm saying the Internet is inhabited by Crooks and Saints. Watch out for the Crooks and think twice about sharing many personal details of your life.

And IDK if Matrix is selling info from this site. They might be. This site ain't a non-profit, that I know of.
 
VintageBetter said:
Just do a Google Search of your name and chances are, any number of websites will reveal your physical address.
Click to expand...

Seems like whenever I want to find anyone's info I wind up with just a little tantalizing bit and an option to pay money to get more useful stuff.

Though you are right about our information being out there, I forget which site but one of them says which political party you prefer. And when I was selling my house, my realtor had software that gave every address I'd ever lived at, and which places I'd been an owner of.

It made me really shake my head about paperwork I'd had to fill out for work security clearances where I drove myself nuts trying to find all my past addresses, when probably the FBI or whoever had at least as good of software as the realtor.

Editing to add...back in the days of paper phone books the info was out there too, just a pain to try to track down.
 
Years ago, my cousin won the Rhode Island state lottery. Stupidly, she did the big cardboard check thing on TV, and her phone # and address were in the phonebook. For a good year, people were knocking on her door wanting money at all hours of the day or night. It was not unusual for a parent with a sick kid, banging on the door, wanting money for treatment @ 4AM. My cousin had to call the cops at least once a week.
So, I've always been careful never say exactly where I live, etc., online. And I try not to give anybody any ideas that I have chests of gold, and diamonds, just lying about.
 
I used to be able to track IP info. The info is there, but vague. I would have had to crack open, i.e. Comcast to get the real thing.
 
I don't care if the FBI knows everything about us. I expect them to, or to be able to find out.

I do not, on the other hand, trust private companies. At least the FBI, you can find or your Congress person can find. Companies can create shell companies to hide themselves. Companies can be truly horrendous to people and tough as hell to sue.

I heard parts of the Boeing CEO at a Congressional hearing yesterday. HE DOESN'T CARE. He doesn't care that his 737 Max killed over 500 people. No big deal. Cost of doing business. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politi...estifies-on-safety-problems-in-senate-hearing

And Congress can't force him to step down. They do not have that power over businesses. They can only pressure them with hearings, reports and investigations.
 
Marie5656 said:
Very true. I think sometimes we (all people, not just seniors) forget how much of our lives are out there for all to see.
I may be wrong, but I think you can sign up for facebook using a made up name. I know of several people who have. A former friend has had several accounts over the years using different aliases
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Yes, you can use different names but you have to use a different email address because if you use a different name but use your "regular" email that you used with your "real" name, it recognizes that address and it won't let you use a different name. Ask me how I know :)
 
Colleen said:
Yes, you can use different names but you have to use a different email address because if you use a different name but use your "regular" email that you used with your "real" name, it recognizes that address and it won't let you use a different name. Ask me how I know :)
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How do you know? because I have done that successfully.
 
Rose65 said:
Thanks for the warning. It's essential to wake up every so often and realise how vulnerable we all are on the internet. Never share anything very personal.
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It's also essential not to raise an alarm every time some person has their mostly unjustified fear or completely unjustified fear affect your life in any way.

Here's a tip from Lanny Bassham......"90 % of what we fear never happens, and of that 10% some of it turns out to be good."
 
KSav said:
I may be wrong—if I am, someone please correct me—but I believe only site administrators have access to your IP address; I don't think just anyone can obtain it from posts you make.

I often use a VPN regardless.
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That is what I related above. The OP obviously is not a technical person nor understands the way website communications work, nor Internet Protocol packets, so only vaguely understands what she is talking about. She is correct about being careful generally but doesn't understand when it is safe. Even "savvy" technical people cannot get at information she is worried about, only those that own a site unless a site is not trustable. SF is trustable. Just follow the simple advice I posted above and ignore her.
 
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