🚀 go-pugleaf

fseipel@freenet.columbus.oh.us (Frank Seipel) wrote:


>> I have looked myself up in P-TRAK.  It is not entirely accurate
>> (which may explain why I have collection agents calling me, trying
>> to track down my [xxxx]).  When it first came out, social security
>> numbers were displayed as part of the results of a query.  This was
>> stopped a few months ago.  Previous addresses, however, are also
>> listed in P-TRAK.

>Why would collection agencies be calling someone who doesn't owe money,
>based on information contained in P-TRAK?  P-TRAK is akin to an electronic
>white pages, all it displays is the name, address, former addresses, and
>telephone numbers of individuals.  Some records also have DOB and the
>person's maiden name.  This is little more information than is contained
>on the popular "Phone Disc" CD's.

>Information maintained by credit companies such as TRW, and particularly,
>by the IRS, is much, much more intrusive than this.

>I seriously doubt anyone is quitting Mead Data Central over this.

>That's blatently obvious from the letter, which states "I'm quitting
>Lexis/Nexis" -- nobody works for Lexis/Nexis, they work for Mead Data
>Central or Reed-Elsevier (they bought the Mead Data division some months
>back).  If the person doesn't know where they are working, I doubt they
>are quitting ;)  It might pay to do a little more research before making
>postings like this.  Might I recommend Lexis/Nexis?  Lexis/Nexis is
>physically based in Dayton, Ohio by the way.

>What's wrong with private companies maintaining databases on individuals,
>anyway?  There are many small databases which contain personal
>information.  These databases are accessible to professionals such as
>private investigators, and/or anyone willing to pay the hefty access
>charges.

>-- 
>Frank Seipel
>fseipel@freenet.columbus.oh.us

I agree Frank. People daily hand out incredible information about
themselves, and are upset when they find that the people they have
given the info to have kept it. Almost all court proceedings are
public. Anyone can walk in find and open your case file and copy the
contents. If its a divorce/dissolution, all of your financial info is
there and will remain there. Likewise obtaining, for $3, a copy of
your driver's license or vehicle registration.