Be Careful Prior to Including Private Information in a Fax Message - Ask Before You Fax

March 8, 2006 – If you have ever used a fax machine then you probably assume that the person receiving a message you send is simply picking up a page that was printed on another fax machine. But more people and businesses are utilizing virtual fax machines to distribute the messages that they receive. And these types of services present new dangers for consumers that most people are unaware of.

A virtual fax machine is simply a service that anyone can subscribe to for a monthly fee. Subscribers may not have a fax machine of their own but they are given a fax number that they can print on their business cards, or provide their associates. The outside world simply assumes that anyone with a fax number has a fax machine.

This assumption presents some very real privacy concerns for anyone sending a fax message with highly personal data. It is not uncommon to include information such as a Social Security Number, bank account information and dates of birth in fax messages. You may be providing information to your accountant, an attorney or even a bank. This is information that you probably wouldn’t dream of including in an e-mail message.

Unfortunately, if the person who is receiving a fax message with this type of highly sensitive data in it also uses a virtual fax service, then all of that sensitive data will wind up in an e-mail message. And e-mail can be intercepted and read by virtually everyone.

It is not just small companies that use virtual fax services. These services can provide businesses with some significant advantages. A single fax message can be delivered to an e-mail address which will then automatically distribute the fax to a large group of people. This is a clear advantage for businesses that have multiple people involved in a decision making process.

This same capability can be used by individuals. Road Warriors will appreciate the fact that having a virtual fax allows them to receive their fax messages from nearly anywhere.

But this added business utility is countered by the fact that if a fax message that you send contains your Social Security Number, or other highly personal information, it may be distributed to a large list. And the more people who are given access to this information, the greater your chances are to become a victim of identity theft.

An additional risk associated with virtual fax machines is that messages can easily be forwarded to anyone else with an e-mail address.

Consumers should always be reluctant to provide their Social Security Number. As a consumer, you need to know what your information will be used for. But there are times that it is unavoidable. If you are applying for a loan, or insurance. When you are dealing with your accountant on tax matters. These are times that you may actually feel little or no reluctance to provide highly sensitive information in written form and place it in a fax message.

ACCESS is advising consumers to "ask before you fax". Ask whoever you are faxing information to if they actually have a fax machine that will receive your message or if they are using a virtual service such as eFax. If a virtual service is used, tell them that you will send your fax without including certain highly confidential information like your SSN and your mother’s maiden name, but that you will call them with that information after they have received your fax. If they won’t agree to that, then there are a couple of options.

First, suggest that you mail the information to them. If you do this, use an overnight delivery service or a tracking service that is offered by the post office. Don’t simply stuff your information into an envelope and send it. If it gets lost, you’ll have no idea who has access to it.

Second, consider changing who you do business with. If a company that you do business with is more concerned with their own convenience than they are with protecting your identity, then they may not be the right business partner for you.

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