Ring. Ring.

“Hello, this is Tom.”

“We know who you are, Tom.”

“Who is this? How’d you get my smartphone number?”

“Your personal details are everywhere, Tom — public records, websites, and apps you’ve downloaded.”

“I didn’t give you permission!”

“Sure you did, Tom. You shared your phone number, address, and Social Security number every time you opened a credit card, made an online purchase or filed taxes.”

“This is outrageous.”

“What’s outrageous, Tom, is that your Social Security number is used for more than 60 Congressionally approved purposes — everything from passports to Medicare.”

“It is?”

“Absolutely, Tom. Every bank account, credit card, tax record, loan, hospital visit, and insurance claim is tied to that number. Data brokers use it to build a fat file on you they can sel

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