I used to have a big mouth.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m still an opinionated son of a bitch but I have learned to be off the grid and to know my rights.  Years ago I was in a civil lawsuit.  My attorney suggested I offer twenty thousand dollars to make the accusations go away.  I was incredulous.  I didn’t do anything wrong and wanted to clear my name.  Long story short I did not settle and spent sixty thousand dollars to fight charges that were untrue.  Being in the public eye I knew I was living my life in a fishbowl but I didn’t realize how easily I could become a target.  We are living in a society of guilty until proven innocent.

Let me share with you what I have learned at a great expense; both financially and mentally.  NEVER give up your social security number.  I am amused at how many doctor’s offices request this information when this is the portal to losing your identity.  Don’t share your medical records with anyone other than medical professionals.  I had a situation where my car insurance company was insisting I release my medical information after an accident.  I informed them of the HIPPA law, a federal law that was introduced in 1996 and circumvents any state law, and that they had no right to see my medical records.  They wanted my psychiatric and cardiac records.  Knowledge is power.  I assume ninety-nine percent of those that are requested to release their medical records do so without an afterthought.  Nothing is to be gained by this.

Lastly, record all incoming phone calls that you don’t recognize.  There are many free apps out there for Galaxy and iPhones that will do this for you easily.  More often than not YOU are being recorded when you call various companies so why shouldn’t you take a few minutes to protect yourself?

Bottom line is this:  Protect yourself and your family by knowing your rights.  Any question you may have is just a google search away.  Thanks for reading and now I will go back to my bunker.