Is it a good idea to get a PO box for a return address to help prevent identity theift?

[suzysemporium]

I keep hearing your information can easily found if someone really wants to. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to get a post office box for an ebay return address to help prevent identity theft. Once you find out you are no longer getting your mail that someone forwarded it, it is a little too late. The clean up is usually a major hassle. If someone was using your identity and committed a felony, you would be arrested for the crime.

Not sure how often that actually happens, or if it is advertisements like life lock that make you think it occurs a lot more often than it does.

Do any of you worry about this? Get a PO box for other reasons? Or just use your home address without really worrying about it?

[nobody*s_perfect]

I have been selling on eBay since 1999, and have been an active member of the discussion boards for many years.  I have never heard of anybody having their identity stolen through the return address on their eBay package. I don't see how that could happen if all the buyer has is your name and address.

[a_c_green]

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@nobody*s_perfect wrote:

I have been selling on eBay since 1999, and have been an active member of the discussion boards for many years.  I have never heard of anybody having their identity stolen through the return address on their eBay package. I don't see how that could happen if all the buyer has is your name and address.

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Second that. My name and address is all over the place and I've lived here for 22 years. Showing it as the return address on my outbound packages makes not one iota of difference.

Now, if one was selling very high-value stuff (which is generally not recommended to do on eBay, but I digress), you might want to get a PO Box in order to conceal your home address from ne'er-do-wells, but (1) it's still highly unlikely that someone is going to bother getting on a plane and traveling to your place for a home invasion just in case you're storing your merchandise on-site, and (2) getting a PO Box for that reason still has nothing to do with identity theft. (It is helpful if you have a problem with porch thefts.)

In short, you're not giving away any State Secrets by having your return address on an eBay label.

[suzysemporium]

Thanks. I'm not selling high valuable stuff. I probably do not need to worry. I don't see anyone coming over and robbing me either. Lifelock or another company like it would probably be better than a po box. They tend to be expensive.

[simba6]

That would only help with mail package  theft if your not going to be home when it's delivered. No value in ID protection.