CONVERSATIONS

I just returned from a doctor's office, (actually it was the imaging center for a mammography), and am amazed that we don't have more instances of identity theft. The office is so cautious about information "slipping" into the wrong hands that the patients have to fill out numerous forms stating that the information you have written down can be released to other doctors etc.. This is all well and good, (except I have to make another appointment to have the doctor check out the writer's cramp in my hand from filling out all the freaking forms) and I feel totally secure that some lab tech in not going to steal my identity.

Meanwhile, sitting two chairs away from me in the waiting room is a woman using the phone. At first I thought she was on her cell phone but then came to realize she was using a phone that was on a table in the waiting room. In a million years I would never think to use that phone but this woman made at least 3 calls on it.

Call #1 was to a client who was supposed to see a condo on the 6th floor of a building but the 12th floor condo really was a better deal. That conversation lasted about 3 minutes and I got quite a bit of detail on the 2 condos that are up for sale. (Apparently our talker is a real estate agent.)

Call #2 was to her doctor's office asking for another script for a MRI for her knee. Along with her broken ribs she is also having knee problems and would like them checked out while she was at the imaging center. This conversation also lasted quite a few minutes and I found out all sorts of information about our real estate agent's ribs, knee and lack of sleep. This was the first day she has been standing upright, in case you wanted to know.

Call #3 was the best ! This call was made to her bank ! First let me mention that this woman was NOT quiet! She was not facing into the wall whispering, she was sitting in a large open room speaking quite loudly. About half way through conversation #3 she did lower her voice but it was still quite audible to everyone. Maybe by that point she realized the foolishness of her actions. Any way, this call gave me all the information I could possible ever want or need to steal this person's identity and a good portion of her money. While sitting there this woman gave her credit card number, pin number, address, phone & cell phone numbers along with the spelling of her name. She did stop at giving her social security number when she realized everyone in the waiting room was looking at her and listening to her call. Just when it was really getting interesting, the part where she was explaining how she took the $2000 from her money market that had A LOT of money in it, she was called into the exam room. The lab tech came to the door and called real estate agents name. Agent continued to talk to her bank for a few seconds before acknowledging her existence. The lab person said she was ready for Agent but Agent continued on with her phone call. Agent actually made the lab tech wait about 3 minutes for her to finish up her call. But before she finished she gave the bank and all of the waiting room her email address and her fax number.

I am sure if Agent's identity were stolen she wouldn't have a clue as to how it could possibly have happened. It must have been the day she filled out all those forms at the imaging center. Some one must have let the information on those forms get into the wrong hands!