Hi There!
If you were following the discussion in the "why is the apocrypha considered scripture" thread you might have noticed that the thread was removed. I guess the Logos administrators took to heart what I said about releasing your phone number and the thread of identity theft.
My intension was not to create un-due anxiety; as a mater of fact, I meant to call the person who did this (I think his name was “something-deo”) but by the time I got home the whole thread was gone. In any event this is the advice I was going to give, which is the advice I give to all my clients in case they release personal information (their personal/cell phone number) by mistake, like it was done in the “Why are apocryphal books are considered scripture?” thread.
1) Do not panic! Just because you made a mistake it does not mean your identity is compromised. But from now on, you just have to be careful.
2) Since you released the information in the Logos web site, a scripture-Christian related site, you have to be leery of any phone call you might receive claiming to be from Logos, or representing logos, or representing any other company related to the Logos program or representing a Scriptural-Christian organization, or any sort of Christian surveys or questionnaires. There is always a possibility these are legit but the best way to be sure is to do this: when they call you ask for a call back number (Meaning “Give me your number and I will call you back” If they refuse then this is a Red Flag. If you are not sure ask for them to send you and email to the address they have on file, if they do not then be leery. If they provide you with a number then contact the Logos Company to verify they are legit, before continue any transaction.
3) Enter your name in the National Do-not Call Registry at www.donotcall.gov
4) If you gave your cell phone, contact your provider and ask if you have been subscribed to any monthly text message service (Stuff like “The joke of the day text” or the “Christian song of the day MP3 service”). For the next few months monitor your telco account to see if some unknown service is starting to charge your phone. If you find it, call the provider immediately and ask to cancel. You are not responsible for the last month fee, however if this goes more than 1 month then you are responsible to the extra charges.
5) If anything else fails, the last resort is… changing your phone number to an unregistered number.
My guess is that we do not have any hackers in our mists (Other than me but I'm an Ethical one
), so the release of a phone number most likely will not affect anyone. But you never know, better safe than sorry.
In His love,
“Viva Cristo Rey!!”
Harbey Santiago
Catholic Deacon
Logos User
Information Systems Security Engineering Professional (CISSP-ISSEP)