Dangers of posting travel plans on BBS

[RESORT2ME Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RESORT2ME]

What has been your experience from disclosing your travel plans on a public BBS.

Does your place get vandalized? Do you get junk mail? Do others try to join-up with you? Do timeshare vultures attact?

Just wondering why doing so might not be such a good thing.

[Presley Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Presley]

I'd be most concerned about stalkers. While the posting members may not choose to stalk another member, who knows about lurkers who never post.

[gandalf252002 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close gandalf252002]

Unless you are giving out personal information like your address I would not be too concerned about it myself. Unless they hack the system and gain that, knowing that you are on vacation does not gain them much of anything.

[PigsDad Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close PigsDad]

Unless you are giving out personal information like your address I would not be too concerned about it myself. Unless they hack the system and gain that, knowing that you are on vacation does not gain them much of anything.

I would agree -- as long as you do not post your real name / address / phone number, it would be very hard for anyone to determine who you really are. With that said, I still don't generally put specific dates; instead I will just say something like "going to XXX in March".

"Kurt"

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

Actually, all I need is a person's name to find out their address and phone number. It is very easy to do and doesn't cost anything. I have done it often when I wanted to locate old friends or associates that I lost contact with.

[davhu1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close davhu1]

BBS does not seem to be as much problem since there is not much information there. But people in facebook have reported to have thier homes broken in after posting vacation plans or pictures while on vacation. I post my travel info on facebook only after I come back.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

For many of us, a determined person could probably piece together enough information to crack our identities and figure out who we are. For some it would be easier than others.

A stalker could certainly make use of the information. Similarly someone who is an acquaintance with nefarious intent could probably also see an opportunity. An example might be a casual family member or acquaintance who is aware that you take travel for weeks at a time, and regards your house a burglary opportunity. (Think of situations such as a drug-using nephew/niece/ex-BF or ex-GF of a family member who knows who you are and where you live.)

It wouldn't be too much effort for them to figure out when you're gone and take advantage. Why make it easy for them? Certainly a BBS like this isn't the security hole that a site such as Facebook is, but I think there's still enough there that I exercise caution.

We learned the lesson when we had a teen-age foster daughter who we learned had burned several people before she came to us. Despite her attempts to go anonymous, some folks were able to piece together that she was in our house and we soon had a continuing series of incidents that lasted for as long as she was with us. DD for many years had recurring problems with a stalker, and she is extremely cautious about posting any personal information.

[BoardGirl Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close BoardGirl]

I have a common name and live in a big city so it wouldn't be so easy to make the rounds of all the people with same name here.

I don't do Facebook, where identities are confirmed.

Sure, not impossible to find out who I am, but, not as simple as it could be.

not something I worry much about.

[dcwojo Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dcwojo]

I have a house sitter and a security system so have had no problems

[Fern Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Fern]

I generally don't post exactly what I'm doin' when. And when I do whatever it is that I'm not posting 'zactly 'bout stuff, I always leave Brianna the dawg when I go, and a housesitter to keep her company. So the house is never empty, anyways. But it is always mo bettah to be safe, no?

Fern

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

BBS does not seem to be as much problem since there is not much information there. But people in facebook have reported to have thier homes broken in after posting vacation plans or pictures while on vacation. I post my travel info on facebook only after I come back.

As I said, all I need is your name. I can find out your address, phone number, and age/date of birth in a few minutes and it doesn't cost anything. Now if your name is John Smith or some other very common name then it will be more difficult.

[T. R. Oglodyte Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close T. R. Oglodyte]

As I said, all I need is your name. I can find out your address, phone number, and age/date of birth in a few minutes and it doesn't cost anything. Now if your name is John Smith or some other very common name then it will be more difficult.

Awhile back someone posted a picture of a house owned by one of the regulars here. It took me less than an hour to figure out specifically the address of the house, who owned the house, and what the persons occupation. A bit more work and I'm pretty sure I could have established when that house was going to be unoccupied.

This is not a person whom I have ever met, had any conversations with, PM'd, or anything like that. I simply know the person as internet ID here at Forums.

[Barbeque Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Barbeque]

Maybe I am paranoid but I dont post upcoming trips with the dates. I have also instructed our son not to post on facebook or any where else when we are going to be out of town. I will post afterward. Houses on both sides of us have been burglarized. We have invested 2 g in a security system and use a local company that hires armed guards plus calls the police.
This country unfortunately is not Mayberry anymore.
Check out this commercial This is a local company Gene the owner is a friend we went to the same high school

Bear Mtn Sports in Bakersfield CA - YouTube

[JWC Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close JWC]

It took me just 3 minutes to get the address, phone number, and date of birth for one of you posting on this thread. No hacking involved. I just used standard tools available to everybody on the Internet.

[Barbeque Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Barbeque]

I believe it I'll bet if you worked a little harder you could get social security numbers and bank accounts too.