People Give Away Their Privacy at Starbucks

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Many of us worry about having our identities hacked when we use our computers or cell phones. However, this morning, while having coffee with a friend, a man who was sitting at the next table completely gave away a great deal of personal information about himself. We ended up learning far more than we wanted to about his personal life. There he was, sitting in Starbucks, talking loudly on his cell phone, and shopping for a new health insurance policy. As a result, he gave the agent on the phone (and anyone in Starbucks who was interested) the following information: Name Address Phone numbers Age of both him and his wife Occupation (Financial Advisor) Income (yes, out there for everyone to know) Current monthly insurance premiums Current insurance carrier Why he wanted to change insurance When he wanted to change insurance (ASAP) His health history (recent cataract surgery and he is on cholesterol medicine) His wife's medical history (hip replacement surgery five years ago; she's doing fine) He was still on the phone and talking loudly when my friend and I left. If we had stayed long enough, we would probably have gotten his Social Security number and other information, too! I cannot believe that anyone would announce all these things loudly at Starbucks. If he gets his identity stolen, he will probably blame some foreign hacker, not his own carelessness! Some people are just hopeless!