With identity theft so prevalent, it pays to do everything possible to protect yourself. We don't think of gifts as a potential source for that person on the lookout for information about you. But, Mari J Frank, author of The Identity Theft Survival Kit, reminds us that "warranty cards that ask for your household income, number of children, hobbies and other personal information are just a way to profile you and sell that information to marketers." This makes you vulnerable to junk mail, spam (if you included your email address), and worse of all--the theft of your identity.
Her advice is to write only your name, address, and the product serial number on the card. One thing that most of us are unaware of is that "as long as there is a receipt, the item is under warranty--whether or not you fill out the warranty card."
No comments:
Post a Comment