# Avoiding Identify Theft

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avoiding-identify-theft/71803>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [July 9, 2001, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avoiding-identify-theft/71803 "2001-07-09T08:06:06Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avoiding-identify-theft/71803/1 "2001-07-09T08:06:06Z")

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I’ve got a question about using a public terminal to access the Dope.

Suppose I use a library terminal to log on - how do I make sure that my id isn’t cookied, so that the next person to use the terminal couldn’t log on as me?

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**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 8:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avoiding-identify-theft/71803/2 "2001-07-09T08:22:14Z")

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Just click the [**log out**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/member.php?action=clearcookies) link on the main page.

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**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avoiding-identify-theft/71803/3 "2001-07-09T11:55:12Z")

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Matt is correct.

Always be sure to log out after you use a public terminal.

your humble TubaDiva  
Administrator

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**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2001, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/avoiding-identify-theft/71803/4 "2001-07-09T16:48:18Z")

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thanks. (It may seem like an obvious question, but I’ve posted entirely from home, so I’ve not worried about this before.)