G+_Rud Dog Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 Sharing experience. Just decided to place my truck on per mile insurance due to the lack of use. I mean it only gets driven to bring larger items to the home and that is rare. What is interesting is I got online entered my address and name and the insurer's website came back with all the information on me, my wife and son. Meaning Driver license info, vehicles, mileage, and vin numbers. Is this public information in the US? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Travis Hershberger Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 Mostly, yes. I really don't like how much of our information anyone who knows how can go grab. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_William L. DeRieux IV Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 Rud Dog Yes all of that information is generally public info....generaly speaking any info coming from a government agency (ie DMV, IRS, etc) are available to the public (sometimes a fee is required to access the info). Someone can request: 1) Information on a vin (vehicle identification number) can be requested such as by CarFax or someone else (this might require a fee being paid). 2) request info by driver's license (probably requires a fee) For instance in TN: https://apps.tn.gov/pmvr/ $7 to get the info online (need: Driver name, birth date, TN driver license number) 3) Credit report request - A fee is required, but the report can be requested by a business, employer, or anyone else. (becomes more difficult if a fraud alert or credit freeze has been established by the consumer) ------------------------ The point here is that anyone can request the information, pay a fee (if needed), and will have instant access to the data requested. The website you were on probably has some kind of bulk agreement with these agencies, they pay a monthly fee....which allows them access to any number of these reports per month. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Rud Dog Posted January 3, 2018 Author Share Posted January 3, 2018 Dismal. Don't have to worry about hackers pay 2 get info is the theme, I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_William L. DeRieux IV Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 Rud Dog That is one of the reasons why you are required to pay a fee. It would cost hackers, too, much and would not be profitable to them. However, it might not stop someone who has some kind of beef, grudge, or vendetta against a person where they are only concerned with that one person. I think requiring a fee to be paid is only half of what is needed -- it should also require the person who is the subject of the requested info to be notified with the other parties name, address, and details. They should also have the ability to deny that person's request for the information. This is what the credit reporting agencies have tried to do with credit freezes, and alerts -- however, it only works if the information is secure (not being like Equifax and using an insecure website for the requests) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Jeff Otten Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 Years ago I used my cat's name, Mickey, (instead of my child's) on just one web form related to higher ed, financial aid, scholarships, etc. 7-8 years later we still get random email and snail mail for the cat. Even credit card offers. The strangest thing though was when my wife called our State Farm agent a couple years ago to get an insurance quote on a possible auto purchase. Halfway through the conversation the agent asks my wife, who's 'Mickey'? Boy did that conversation get interesting. Lesson: Big Data is watching! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Robert Hafer Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 Have you ever reviewed the “long form” census letter? A large number of very intrusive questions,the answers to which are put into a public database Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Rud Dog Posted January 4, 2018 Author Share Posted January 4, 2018 Robert Hafer sad to say but I don't even read the back of my cereal box anymore. Makes you wonder why "places" have you fill out forms either on the web or in physical establishments. They already know all there is to know about you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Robert Hafer Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 This why I make all my charity donations anonymously, neither the IRS or anyone else needs to know how much or to whom I give. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G+_Paul Hutchinson Posted January 4, 2018 Share Posted January 4, 2018 Robert Hafer FYI census records are not released to the public or other agencies for 72 years. 1940 are the most recent census records currently available to the public or agencies other than the census bureau. Only demographic data with no personally identifiable data is available for any census less than 72 years old. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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