Your Questions About "365 Anniversaries" Answered

Knowing that the innocent-looking 365 Anniversaries chain letter e-mail has the potential for identity fraud, you probably have some questions. The most common questions are answered here. If you don't see your question answered here or have something to contribute to the conversation, please send us feedback.

I Have Provided My Information. Should I Panic?

Probably not. Most people who participate in this chain letter are not going to have their identity stolen. You can read our tips on what to do for advice on protecting yourself from becoming a victim of this e-mail.

You should be concerned if:

• You do not know the person who sent you the e-mail
• Your information is posted on a public message board or discussion group

You should contact the people whom you forwarded the e-mail to and the person who sent it to you and warn them of the danger. Our Send a Warning page makes this easy.

Why Does the Government Make My Personal Information Publicly Available?

It would be difficult to live in a democratic society if the government kept vital records and statistics a secret. These records are crucial to holding the government accountable to its people. In addition, genealogists and historians rely on these records for their work.

A better question is: Why do financial institutions rely on personal information that is publicly available to any American citizen? Mother's maiden name, date of birth and place of birth are routinely used to verify your identity at banks and other institutions.

Pundits regularly blame the consumers for being careless with their personal info. A fair share of the blame belongs with companies who design fatally flawed policies to identify their customers.

Can a Thief Discover My Social Security Number from the Information I Provided?

No. At least not directly. Fortunately, no states record the applicants' Social Security Number on the marriage license. In addition, furnishing another person's Social Security Number without that person's authorization is a federal crime.

But don't rest too easy- the Internet is international and largely unregulated. It would be irresponsible of us to go into details, but suffice-to-say, with enough information and the right connections, your Social Security Number can be illegally discovered.

I Was Married Decades Ago. Is My Information Still Available?

Most likely. State governments were required under federal law to store marriage certificates around the Civil War era. California has records dating back to the 1850's. It's fairly safe to assume that anyone alive and married today has their marriage certificate publicly available.

What Proof Do You Have That This is an Identity Theft Scam?

None. In fact, the 365 Anniversaries e-mail and the related 365 Birthdays  letter may not have been intended as an identity theft scheme.

Whether or not this was meant to steal your is not really the point. The fact that the potential is there what the fuss is all about.

To be sure, there are a number of reasons to be suspicious about this chain letter. Primary among them: The people or organization compiling this calendar of anniversaries/birthdays don't identify themselves.