Government Sites Can Be Sources for ID Theft
In several recent news articles, consumers are expressing concern that access to their personal data, the information that is used to perpetrate identity theft, is often available through local and state government agencies and offices. Personal information such as names, addresses, bank account numbers, mortgage loan numbers and sometimes even social security numbers are readily available online or in local Circuit Court offices around the country.
In the Virginia legislature, there has been a proposal to have the state’s records on resident’s personal data out-sourced to a data management company outside of the U.S. Our government is suppose to be advocating identity protection, yet the idea of personal information being managed by a company, especially one outside the country, seems contradictory.
People who’ve discovered their information is out there, easily accessed by anyone via the internet with very little effort, usually find out by accident.
The Virginia Watchdog, founded by B.J. Ostergren is crusading to make consumers nationwide understand the implications of anyone, anywhere in the world having access to personal information via the internet. An article in the local Richmond Times-Dispatch, quotes Ostergren as saying that “unless consumers hassle their legislators and get Virginia Code 17.1-225 repealed during the legislative session beginning in January, all Virginia localities will be required to put ‘land records,’ as this information is called, online by July 2006.” Clerks offices around the state that have already complied give out their residents personal information online.
It’s happening in other states too.
One argument supporting this information being available on court websites is that it gives businesses and other professionals the information they need 24/7 to make fast credit decisions. Reality is that NO ONE, including certain industry professionals, needs that type access to personal data. It is ludicrous to claim that court records need to be accessible 24/7 for lenders or real estate professionals to do business.
If a professional or a business needs personal information on a consumer in order to make fast credit decisions, they already have service established with a professional credit reporting service which allows credit reports to be pulled 24/7. The difference now is , for these professionals to access credit history, they must have the consumer’s permission. Putting the information online via court records takes control out of the consumer’s hands and puts their personal data in the hands of anyone with a computer.