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Civil Rights & Human Rights
Littering the Internet are various websites with sales pitches such as “Will sniff out all the information you’re after,” or “Become a professional web detective instantly,” that claim to allow you to track down personal information on just about anyone.
All you need is a name to get started on your search so I decided to give it a try. With my list of 12 students, randomly selected from the University of Houston phone book, I begin my search to find out just how much information is available about the average person on the Internet.
After searching nearly a dozen websites that all claim to be the best for finding information online, I find that most offer very little information on their own, but they all, at some point, link to a website called Ussearch.com .
For $40, Ussearch.com provides you with a list of current and old addresses and phone numbers for not only the person you’re looking for, but also for their family members and even their neighbors. The site will even tell you details like how much the person's house is worth, how many times they have been married and to whom all in less than five minutes.
Actually anyone can get the same information with no Internet connection but it takes much more effort and time. That’s because all the information provided by any of these websites is public information, and can be retrieved by simply looking in a phone book or by searching through public records.
According to private investigator Deanna Staner, there are only two pieces of information about a person that aren’t public record.
“Pretty much the only thing you can’t get about an individual on the Internet is a driving history and social security number,” says Staner.
Other experts disagree. Your social security number and mother’s maiden name, used to identify you to credit card companies and other types of account verification can be found on publicly available documents, according to information gathering website Intelius.com.
Intelius says birth certificates are public documents in every state. Since they often contain the maiden name of the maternal parents, your mother’s maiden name is not only not private, it’s actually public record. Intelius says Social security numbers can also be found on public records such as lawsuit filings and bankruptcy.
Staner says any social security number contained on those records should be truncated, hiding four to six digits from public eyes.
“Some of the databases we have access to even keep us from seeing the last four digits.” says Staner.
Just because your social security number isn't provided willingly by data collection companies, does not mean it cannot be obtained.
Social security numbers are bought and sold every day in huge underground online chat rooms, according to “Ustler” of “Blacklisted 411 magazine,” a publication for hackers.
Ustler says social security numbers can be bought for as little as 50 cents a piece.
“I’ve seen hundreds of names be sold at anywhere from 50 cents to $1.50. The price really depends on how accurate the information they are selling you is," says Ustler.
He also says your social security number is one of three things an identity thief needs in order to assume your identity. The others being your name and address. With these an identity thief can gain access to your bank accounts, credit card information and your driving record.
So, what can you do to reduce the chance that your personal information is collected and used by someone without your knowledge?
Ustler and Intelius say you can limit the amount of information, both public and private, available about you by being more aware of your rights.
To protect yourself from fraud, avoid using your social security number as your "unique" identifying number unless you are required to by law. You can legally refuse to provide your social security number to private businesses unless it is required for governmental purposes, such as tax withholding.
You can also request that your phone number be unlisted and unpublished. Most importantly, Ustler says never give your phone number to strangers.
“The worst thing I've seen people do when it comes to privacy, is give out their home number. This is terrible! Anyone with half a brain can go do a reverse lookup of someone’s land line number,” says Ustler.
A reverse lookup searches public databases for your phone number and returns your address and name.
Ustler also says it is important not to post personal information about yourself anywhere on the Internet if you're concerned about privacy. Blogs are full of personal details that make it very easy for someone to gain access to your information.
For example, password retrieval services often use questions like “What's your favorite pet's name?” or “What street did you grow up on?” If you post that type of information in a blog, anyone with a little bit of free time and the will to do so can reset your e-mail passwords or gain access to online bank accounts and credit card services in your name.
© Copyright World Internet News 2006-07
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Civil Rights & Human Rights
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Blacklisted 411 Magazine
www.blacklisted411.com
K Griff Investigations
ACLU Privacy & Technology
Fair Credit Reporting Act: (sec. 613)
How Social Security Numbers Work:
Timeline of Privacy Events
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