I was talking to a coworker about these new phishing attacks that send your name and address and sometimes a picture of your house, and I was saying how creepy it is, and they told me that phonebooks were delivered to everyone and used to have like literally everyone in a city listed by last name with their phone number and address. Is that for real?

  • Noel_Skum@sh.itjust.works
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    3 months ago

    Generally, yeah. Your initials and family name - of the account payer only. First line of your address. I think the Terminator film, amongst others, shows this being used to locate someone.

    • Cobrachicken@lemmy.world
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      3 months ago

      In a public phone booth, accessible to everyone. Later then, you had the chance to opt out of the phone book “service”, here in Geemany that was around the time alternative phone providers appeared. Now seems to be default, so you got to watch to whom you give your number.

    • geekwithsoul@lemm.ee
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      3 months ago

      Actually in most places it was however the person wished to be listed and often included full first names and sometimes middle initials. Or could sometimes be a couple like “John and Mary Doe”