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Addresses listed in phone books

Secure Your Home with an Unlisted Number

It amazes me how many people have their phone number listed in the telephone directories. Let’s look at the dangers of allowing not only our phone number, but our address to be displayed in public phone books.

Unfortunately in this day and age we need to think twice before allowing personal information such as this to be displayed as general knowledge.

Most of us cringe at the thought of giving a stranger our name, phone number and address however we allow personal information to be published in a book that is delivered to the front door of every resident in the city. Imagine giving this information to unidentified and unqualified people.

If you subscribe to this potential security breach, you may want to consider an unlisted phone number. Why subscribe to a tool that could possibly be used against you? With the dangers of reverse look ups and people finders, it wouldn’t take long for a bad guy to collect the information he or she needed.

Information is power to a burglar. Armed with only an address, a break and enter artist could have the name and phone number of a resident in seconds through “People Finder” via the internet. Just type in the house address, hit “Search” and within seconds the resident’s name and phone number are displayed on your computer screen.

Or lets say the reverse is the case, you have a phone number with no address. Just click on your local phone book’s “Reverse Look-up” , type in the phone number and presto, there’s the resident’s name and address.

People who lack computer savvy need to realize information such as this is only a click away in the world of cyberspace. If you must have your phone number listed in the local directory make sure you follow a few “Home Security” tips to help keep the crooks away.

Invest in an answering machine and record a message something like this.."I am on the other line right now, and will phone you back as soon as I have a moment”. This message is sending out a red flag to a burglar, you are at home but not available for the call.

Call forwarding to a cell phone or family member is always a good idea to throw off a potential thief. If a crook locates your name and phone number from a reverse look-up, he or she will not be able to determine whether you’re home or not, especially when someone appears to be answering the phone from your residence.

The new local phone books will be making their debut soon, so remember to take them into your home and don’t let them pile up. Nothing sends a message of non-occupancy like a front door step filled with telephone books.

And don’t forget to make pre-vacation arrangements with your neighbor to pick up any phone books that might be accumulating on your front door steps while away.