Online banking in your underwear--good. Online banking in the coffee shop--bad.

I'm rerunning this post from September 5, 2008, because I'm so amazed that I encountered this situation again. Please don't try this in public.

photo by Daquella manera

Okay I didn't take that photo above and that's not my local ;) coffee shop ;), but if I had been thinking last Sunday I would have had my camera out because right before my very eyes was the most amazingly foolish person doing something no one smart enough to have a broker account should ever do. (Hey, stop correcting my grammar in that run-on sentence, just go with it.)

My friend and I were headed outside with our super designer coffees to enjoy the parking lot tables when we both spied said guy. He was sitting with his back to the door, laptop open and checking his Fidelity investments. We paused long enough that I could not only have taken a great photo but maybe sized up his portfolio.

Let's circle the things that are wrong with this picture. First, his back was to the door and he didn't not have an anti-peeking screen. Two, he was either blissfully unaware that anyone could see his screen or he wanted everyone to see his investment package. And three, he was using an unsecured connection. That's right not insecure--UNsecure--free wireless cafes are not password protected. I hope this is obviously wrong to the rest of you.

This is the kind of Internet banker that ID theives love. These theives sit in the parking lot attempting to swipe passwords and logins. Well, they might come inside, but I think they like staying in the car. They love to cruise by wireless cafes especially. However, just two nights ago my husband (I call him Robocop) claimed he saw a guy sitting across our street in his car for quite awhile using a laptop. Now the guy could be innocent, but these types of theives do cruise neighborhoods looking for hot, unsecured wireless.

I am a huge fan of online banking biggest. BUT I urge you and everyone you know to be smart about it. Your credit union, bank, investment broker spends oodles of money, thought and time into protecting your investments, but you must also be diligent. Don't believe that the https is enough. Only access your accounts through secure password protected communications. The more layers of security the better.

I probably should have told our guy to be more careful. Sorry man.

I'm Sorry that Information is Public.

Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time there was a guy called Pete. One day Pete wanted to drive a car, so he went to the DMV and got a license. Another day Pete wanted to get married so he went to the courthouse and got a license. Then Pete and his bride moved. They went to the Post Office and changed their address. A while later Pete wanted a house. So he took out a mortgage and signed his name to a bunch of papers.

Suddenly Pete started getting lots of mail offers for things like credit cards. He expected that so while he found them annoying, they were fun to put through the shredder. Then Pete started getting offers for refinancing his mortgage and for home equity loans. "Hey," thought Pete, "how do these companies know that I have mortgage? Oooooh I bet that lousy credit union told them! Can't they keep my business private."

Feeling quite betrayed by his favorite credit union, Pete picked up the phone to find out what was going on. But when he talked to the nice people at the credit union they didn't know what he was talking about. Pete was confused. How could this happen?

It's simple. All those things that Pete did in the first paragraph, that we all do because we're supposed to.... Well, they all triggered action in his "Public Record". And anybody who wants to pay a fee can access that information. Solicitors are required to put a little tiny often lightly colored phrase that lets you know that "information was obtained via public record". Don't quote me on the specifics of how they have to word or present this, but you get the idea.

Every state has different laws about public records. In Colorado driver's information actually can't be disclosed. But some states actively sell their driver's license information.

For Pete's sake can't this be stopped??? Sure, stop direct mail solicitations by visiting the Direct Marketing Association's opt-out website.