<p>I’m seriously starting to wonder if our school district or one of the local sports programs is selling it’s list of student names/addresses to companies that have absolutely nothing to do with sports or education.</p>
<p>Today our DS, age 14, received an envelope with a “homey” looking return label from someone in Washington state. Since he knows only one person in Washington, and that was not the name on the envelope I was curious as to what type of junk he was getting. I opened it. Inside was a 4 or 5 page chain letter asking him to send $45 to some company for a mailing list and then to mail the list of people the letter and to send someone some money. He could then receive hundreds of thousands of dollars. Typical chain mail stuff except with the twist that they wanted him to purchase a mailing list. </p>
<p>Given his age, the I think the only lists he is on are school or sports type lists. He’s not old enough for a state ID or anything along those lines. Any magazines he’s received are in our names. He’s not taken SATs or ACTs so they are not to blame. This is making me wonder who is selling these lists to who??? Yes, there are much bigger problems in life, but getting this kind of junk mail at age 14 is ridiculous. I suppose he’ll be getting credit card offers next. </p>
<p>Anyone else have a similar experience or insight?</p>
<p>Actually, some of these lists begin at birth, as (at least in my state) birth data is a public record and lists can be purchased from companies that accumulate the data. I imagine they could merely “wait it out” until the child was old enough to act on any mail they receive. Alternatively, and probably, your child could have registered for something else, innocently, on a website and had their information gathered.</p>
<p>I got that letter recently too, and then I started getting calls about wanting to start a home based business. I have no idea how I got on that list either, but once someone gets ahold of his name and address, look out! If he ever entered a free raffle at a mall or community fair, etc, he may have been put on a list.</p>
<p>I got a call the other day asking, “Is this Lafgirl’s mom?” I said, “Yes.” The caller went on to say that Lafgirl had checked a box indicating that she was interested in SAT or ACT prep. I cut the caller off and said, “What box?” The caller was confused. “Well, you said she checked off a box. What box? On what?” She tried to brush it over and continue. I’m afraid I became rude, “I can pretty much guarantee you my D did not check any box indicating she was interested in SAT help.” and I hung up. D is not really focused on anything college-oriented yet, and if she wanted SAT help her aunt teaches SAT prep classes for Princeton Review! D has not taken any standardized tests lately and our hs is very particular about NOT giving out names/addresses/etc. But we keep getting mailings from college consultants and SAT prep schools. I can only assume these are the public records that begin at birth, and they know she’s 16.</p>
<p>Yes, our school system could sell the names - small rural system so I don’t know if any company ever tries Every year we fill out a form indicating if we permit information to be released. We only permit names in the paper for sports and such, yearbook photos and names in the school directory.</p>
<p>Chain letters of the sort sent to your son are illegal, and should be reported to the United States Postal Inspection Service. The USPIS has a website (postalinspectors.uspis.gov) with an online Mail Fraud Complaint form your son should complete and submit. (According to the form, his age information “is optional, but penalties may increase when certain crimes target an age group.”) From the USPIS Home page, go to Investigations > Mail Fraud > File a Mail Fraud Complaint. Your son should submit this complaint form as soon as possible.</p>
<p>In the meantime, you need to get busy researching the name and return address (if any) on the chain letter envelope. That information might tip you off as to how the chain letter sender acquired your son’s name and home address. Information provided within the chain letter itself may provide additional clues about the scam’s source. The Internet provides plenty of reverse directories and other online resources which enable users to research people and places. Most of these reverse directories and other resources are free. I use them regularly, and my daughter knows how to use them, too. (She and I are both natural sleuths.) Your hair would stand on end if you knew how easy it is to acquire so-called “private” information from the Internet. </p>
<p>Notify your son’s school district and sports programs. When you register your son for school this fall, make sure that you prohibit release of his “directory” information. It is unlikely that the school district sold your son’s information to a third party, but the district should know about this chain letter, anyway. If your son has not been the only student targeted, then the district needs to take a closer look at its privacy policies, and plug up the holes.</p>
<p>Take a look at the Federal Trade Commission’s website (ftc.gov). Go to the FTC’s Consumer Protection webpage entitled, “Sharing Your Personal Information: It’s Your Choice,” for information about dealing with unsolicited mail, telemarketing, and (scam) email. Another good information resource is the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse (privacyrights.org).</p>
<p>Impress upon your son the importance of privacy. Young people (and many adults) don’t know how easily they can be duped into revealing information which is nobody’s business.</p>
<p>It’s one thing for an adult to get a chain letter. (Chain letters have been around for years.) However, it’s another thing for the minor child of privacy-minded parents to get one. Take this seriously. One note of caution: If you should determine the identity of the person who sent the chain letter, do not contact him or her yourself. Let the authorities handle that; it’s their job.</p>