For the benefit of those who've never had any reason to have to think about it, I wanted to let folks know: Identity theft involves people out there in the world who seek out opportunities to "adopt" a different identity for themselves (name, date of birth) whether or not they can also get that name's correct Social Security number (using a bogus one, instead) or that person's true mother's maiden name , though of course knowing those items, too, just makes it all the easier for them. These kinds of people steal identities in order to open credit/bank accounts in that identity. They run up huge bills which they do not pay, and then abandon that identity & move on to a different one. When those credit card companies & banks & cell phone companies start trying to collect their bills from such people, they try sending their collection notices to any logical address for that identity -- including the legitimate address for that name, which they of course can get from credit reporting agencies, and which they logically assume is another address for the same "person." I've recently been made more personally aware of this problem because someone(s) took the identities of 3 young adults we know well. The suspect(s) apparently had gotten some of those unsolicited credit card applications that are always coming, out of the trash. They sent the applications in to the credit card companies to open new accounts, changing their addresses to ones unrelated to the real young people. Once they had the new credit cards, they opened up further accounts for cell phones & at local stores & banks -- opening numerous accounts -- and they ran up huge bills on ALL the accounts. When the dunning letters began arriving several months later at the true addresses of the legitimate people, it meant they had to initially notify not only all the various companies, but also all the credit reporting agencies mentioned below in a recent message off-List to me from one of our Listers: - Equifax 1-800 525-6285 - Experian (formerly TRW) 1-800-301-7195 - Trans Union 1-800-680-7289 - Social Security Administration also has a fraud line at 1-800-269-0271 Such follow-up hassles include filling out affidavits swearing that the bills are fraudulent, and literally months of writing letters & making calls trying to clear one's own credit. It is very similar to the problems one can immediately have from a lost wallet, but this kind of identity theft is more insidious because the person whose identity has been stolen doesn't know immediately -- they don't know until much later, when MUCH damage has been done. Shred such credit applications before you put them in the trash. And as far as List or Board situations, PLEASE be aware and be protective of your own identity & that of your extended family and fellow researchers. Do not make freely available in messages that can be archived & available to anyone with an internet search capability, ANY exact dates of birth for LIVING people. If you want to discuss your own family in some List or Board situation & want to give just a year of birth for yourself, or a month & year, then your fellow readers should be able to readily understand that they don't need it to be more exact.