Who Is Listening To Your Phone Calls?

Do you really know who is listening to your cell phone conversations while you are in a public area? Do you ride the bus to and from work and talk on your cell phone? Do you try to accomplish several tasks at once, grocery shopping while ordering something over the phone. Do you give friends directions to your home or work over you cell phone while standing in line at Starbucks? Do you give out your social security number or bank information while on the phone in the waiting area of your dentist's or doctor's office?

If you talk on your cell phone in public places, it is important to know who can hear you and what they can hear. It is easy to become wrapped up in a conversation with a friend, family member or co-worker without realizing who is listening. Public places can be the easiest place for a thief to steal an identity. A thief could be standing right behind you in line when you give the clerk your phone number, driver's license number or social security number. The following are important things to remember:

• In a public place, never order anything over the phone that requires you to give your address, credit card number or phone number. Any one of these numbers by itself can help a thief get your identity.
• Never give directions to your home or work in a public place. If a thief or other type of criminal is listening, you are giving them directions as well.
• In a check-out line, never verbally give any private information to the cashier. Some criminals train themselves to remember a long series of numbers for this specific purpose.
• In a public place, try not to multi-task when one of the tasks is talking on your cell phone. While you may try hard not to reveal any private information, you may easily forget where you are if you get wrapped up on the conversation. Try and make it a habit to tell the person on the phone that you are busy and will call them as soon as you get to a quiet place.