Would you give out this information??

[Valerie226]

DH & I recently witnessed illegal activity on forest service land. we are trying to file a complaint with the forest service to hopefully get the involved parties fined. This was not a dangerous or violent activity, but not legal when they were doing it.

The issue is the FS form. Since we both witnessed, it requires both our full names & addresses, SSN#,DOB, sex, driver's license numbers, home address, home phone. Occupation, address of job, phone. Signature.
Geez, want my mother's maiden name too?? Or maybe I should just write in my visa number to speed up the identity theft process.
We are balking at putting all this down on a FS document that we have no clue knowing whose desk it will cross or whether this may become public record. Is this available to the people we accuse of doing the illegal activity?
Would you supply this kind of information in a circumstance like this?

[MusicMom]

Maybe they want to make sure that they can keep track or verify the identity of witnesses. You could skip some of the personal questions and write them a note about why you'd rather not supply that information.

[Member10000]

Unless it involved the death of someone, I would not give out all that information. I can see that they want to verify who is reporting the incident, but that is just too much that they want from you.

[tamawrite]

Good grief! I wouldn't want to give them my SS#, DOB, or DL# either!

On the other hand, as an insurance agent, I collect that very information from people, day after day. I enter it into the computer system, where thousands of other agents, office staff, underwriters, processers, etc can access it at any time. Sometimes, people don't want to give me the information, and I don't blame them...but still, I can't write them a policy without it.

Maybe, for whatever reason, the forest service can't process your form without the information??? Regardless, only you can decide whether it's worth it to give the info out.

Your personal information is already smeared all over the fabric of society. If someone really wants it, they can probably get it. It sucks, but there you are. Still.

FWIW, you might want to check with your homeowners insurance carrier to see if they offer Identity Theft coverage. Mine only adds $40 annually to my premium.

[aggie94]

I wouldn't provide some of that information, only because the complaint *might* be something any Joe Schmoe can get under the Freedom of Information Act. If they have trouble processing your complaint without it, they can call you, and maybe you can work something out.

[Kathy B]

Who knows when that form was last updated. It could be that they will not have a problem with you leaving some things blank. Why not just call the main office and ask. If they really want the information about the crime so they can put a stop to it, I would think they would be willing to negotiate with you as to what info is truly necessary. Otherwise, you may not help them out.

[Valerie226]

I wrote back to the FS person asking exactly what information was truly needed, how secure the data was, and expressed my concerns.

I know we make some of this data available regularly. what bothers me is that both DH& I would need to do it, and we don't know to whom this information is available. I don't believe I've ever been asked this much personal info for both of us, all at once, on a single piece of paper.
I'm so careful about shredding documents with personal info that it just stunned me. To file a complaint over a relatively minor issue( legally speaking) that we should be taking this risk.

[Escher]

Re: the social security #

On a gov't form, you are entitled to ask what law is compelling you to submit that information.... w/o that, they can't compell it.

Furthermore, it all fails the logic test...

A foreigner (w/ no SS#) could have witnessed this, and would still be allowed to submit the form.

Same thing for someone who doesn't drive.

Age, they probably want to make sure you are over 18. The year of birth should be sufficient.

Fight it tooth and nail...there is no need, and you are absolutely correct...once it's on the form, it's public record...including for the people who you are complaining about....

[Escher]

Originally posted by tamawrite
On the other hand, as an insurance agent, I collect that very information from people, day after day. I enter it into the computer system, where thousands of other agents, office staff, underwriters, processers, etc can access it at any time. Sometimes, people don't want to give me the information, and I don't blame them...but still, I can't write them a policy without it.


Why not?

I suppose it's for tax reasons, but life insurance payouts are not taxed, correct?

Who says you can't write the policy w/o it...your company or the gov't? And why?

You see, the problem is getting through the low-end folks who don't know why they are requesting the info...they just know that's the way it's done, and assume it's mandatory....

[tamawrite]

Originally posted by Escher


Why not?

I suppose it's for tax reasons, but life insurance payouts are not taxed, correct?

Who says you can't write the policy w/o it...your company or the gov't? And why?

You see, the problem is getting through the low-end folks who don't know why they are requesting the info...they just know that's the way it's done, and assume it's mandatory....

Ona a day-to-day level, because of the way my company's software is designed. However, it's designed that way for underwriting purposes influenced by both company (profit) and government (protection.) More below.

I'm talking about Property and Casualty insurance, not life.

Both company and government say so. The company cares because without personal information we are unable to retrieve credit, insurance, and driving history, without which a policy cannot be propertly rated (credit is the single predictor most indicitave of future loss, but cannot legally be used to determine more than 49% of premium.) The government cares because it has a great deal to do with the equality of insurance rating, demanding that we hold everyone to the same standard, which in turn means we have to obtain the same categories of information on everyone, which in turn means we need their personal information.

I am not an uneducated office drone who simply "does what I'm told" without understanding why. The number of times I've explained this issue to consumers...

[Escher]

I was afraid you'd take it that way.

It's not what I intended.

I'm just saying it usually (with yourself being an exception) takes some digging to get to the cause...

And I question whether a SS# is req'd to get a credit score... I mean, one can slam someone's credit w/o asking their #.....

and if you can't get a driving history w/o a social security #, instead of the more logical driver's license #, well, doesn't that just prove the blatant abuse of the system?

[tamawrite]

Originally posted by Escher
I was afraid you'd take it that way.

It's not what I intended.

I'm just saying it usually (with yourself being an exception) takes some digging to get to the cause...

And I question whether a SS# is req'd to get a credit score... I mean, one can slam someone's credit w/o asking their #.....

and if you can't get a driving history w/o a social security #, instead of the more logical driver's license #, well, doesn't that just prove the blatant abuse of the system?

Okay, I promise not to put you on my "Eternally Shun and Despise" list. :p It's not your fault in im a touchy mood today because people keep assuming I'm the freaking RECEPTIONIST, just because I'm female and have a good "phone voice." :mad:

As for getting credit rating with no SS#...I know our system can often do it if you have enough other information. Name (especially with middle initial,) address and DOB are often enough. So why not refuse to give me your SS#? If I can pull your credit, your social comes with it. I get it either way. (And NO, I don't actually do this, but about a year ago I quit the office of an unethical agency owner who did.)

Re drivers license/social to get a driving record: Usually, we can get the record with only a social, but we can almost never get it with only a DL#. Blatent abuse of the system? You bet.

[lmenichel]

I don't think I'd give out all that information under the circumstances!!

Why couldn't you just write an anonymous letter and tell them what happened? If they are truly interested they'll look into it on their own. A lot of the police stations have "tip" lines where you just leave a message and don't have to supply any information so I wouldn't think you would have to give out that much information for something like this.

[Cookin4Love]

Originally posted by lmenichel
I don't think I'd give out all that information under the circumstances!!

Why couldn't you just write an anonymous letter and tell them what happened? If they are truly interested they'll look into it on their own. A lot of the police stations have "tip" lines where you just leave a message and don't have to supply any information so I wouldn't think you would have to give out that much information for something like this.

I think this is an excellent point. I certainly wouldn't give out the amount/type of information they're asking for simply because it COULD fall into hands that shouldn't have it. You're wise to be concerned.