Give Me Your Personal Information

Please, tell me that it's a SMALL MINORITY of human beings that would actually give out information blindly to someone who calls them as seen in the transcript below. Please! It's insane... and yes, the transcript below is accurate.

Phone rings. I answer it. "Hello?"

PHONE PERSON:   "Hello, is this Mr. Anthony Malena?"

ME:   "May I ask who is calling?"

PHONE PERSON:   "I'm calling about a business matter."

      I decide to verify. "This is he. How may I help you?"

PHONE PERSON:   "Would you please verify your address?"

      I wait. About 10 seconds later...

PHONE PERSON:   "Sir? I need to verify your address."

ME: nbsp; "Sure."

      Another 5 seconds.

PHONE PERSON:   "Could you please tell me your address so I can verify that I have the correct person?"

ME:   "Oh. Apparently you want me to give out personal information to someone who called me, who I have no way of verifying what company they're with, and who might next ask me for my Social Security Number or Birthdate or something else. Is that what's going to happen? I am not aware of any company I do business with that would blindly call me, not identify themselves, and ask for personal information. For all I know, you're a serial killer who blindly called me.. or an ex-girlfriend.. or a special ops agent sent to kill me..."

PHONE PERSON:   "Okay, sir. We will mail you a letter. Thanks for your time."

ME:   "That might work. Hopefully the letter being sent will be clear on who you are and what your company is trying to sell to or buy from me. Thanks!"

*click*

I really want to know:   Would anyone reading this post actually give out something as "simple" as their address to someone who called you and you are clueless as to who they are? EVEN IF they had said "I'm with Reader's Digest," would you do it?? I could call someone, from a friend's phone, work phone, public phone, etc, do the same thing.