Just an alert

And Haskins, I hate that google thing, but there is a way to be removed from it. You can click on your name and there will be a link saying remove me from this database. I did that about a year ago and my number hasn't popped up again.

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damn. i guess shoving that rotting skunk carcass in their P.O. box was a bit of overkill. i really should try to be more subtle.

I'm sure it helped!

i guess shoving that rotting skunk carcass in their P.O. box was a bit of overkill

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Mac,

I cannot find my tinfoil beanie. Do you happen to have one I can borrow?

Brady H.

Thanks Mac. You're a lifesaver.

(or at least a mind saver)

Brady H.

MacAllister said:

This is not going to be a popular take on the matter...BUT (deep-breath-here-I-go-anyway) I think this is largely a false fear. Statistically speaking, women have MUCH more to fear from their husband or the guy they date, than from some IM weirdo.

Do you really, really want to encourage and support the federal goverment taking yet more control over information--information that is all from public records--available on the internet?

I don't. Especially not this administration.

I must go and find my tinfoil beanie, now.

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Okay, Mac, I can see that, and yes, I can agree to a certain extent.

I think, though, that selling your information, and/or making it pubicly available to anyone who wants it, without your consent is a violation of privacy.

Now, admittedly, there are alot of things on the web, and IRL that you can sign, that states clearly that the information will be sold, and you have the choice to -not- sign it (always, always, always read the small print). However, it appears there are a few people on this list who have -never- given out certain information, that has found its way there. THAT'S where I have the problem.

I'm not in there. Then again, I'm somewhat north of most of you. Y'all are welcome up here in Canada, eh.

The thing is, this type of information has always been readily available. It is public information. The difference between then and now is, more people know where to go and get it.

As far as selling your public information, companies such as this are not selling your information -- it is public and has little value in its own right -- they are selling convenient access to your information. The information available on the website indicated can easily be obtained by purchasing an inexpensive marketing list from any type of mailing list provider.

I don't think there are a lot of random stalkers out there--I've dealt with one or two in the years I've been online, but then we have them at 7-11 as well. Customers who won't leave you alone and make comments that send bad vibes through you--we have code words we use with the ones we work with--see them in the bad vibe situation and we will say--the boss needs you in the office, even if the boss isn't there.

The trouble is-- women who are hidding from an abusive partner. I have a nasty ex who would do anything to get my current phone number or address (even after 15 years of being divorced) (if it is free--he's always broke)(and he is a computer idiot)

I'm lucky I'm not on there. I think one reason may be that I am careful about stuff I fill out online or elsewhere, if it asks for birthdate I back off. And I suspect some of that comes from birth records--I don't have an official birth certif. I have a certif of live birth. That may make a difference.

Shawn

Maryn said:

I'm curious about something. I've known my friend Kate for about 15 years. She's single and lives alone. She guards her privacy as fiercely as a woman who's been stalked or abused, although she hasn't been a crime victim since I've known her.

Kate isn't listed in any telephone directory. She does not use her real name online (and goes online very little). She does not shop online. She doesn't sign up for contests and give-aways. She gets almost no junk mail--that's how private she is.

ZabaSearch has her current address and phone number, plus her last two addresses, and the month and year of her birth. What public record(s) did they cull to get this information?

Maryn, now accepting calls and playing your requests

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most likely her info was secured through the social security administration. they may not complete info, but enough is given out to secure a search for more details. also, dmv records, employment . . . the list goes on and on.

facts are usually easy to obtain if, and depending on the job codes you've had over the years records of employment can be public record. and school records--not the details but verification that you attended are far too easy to obtain.

SRHowen said:

And I suspect some of that comes from birth records--I don't have an official birth certif. I have a certif of live birth. That may make a difference.
Shawn

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For reference and curiosity, what is the difference Shawn?

One thing I've been hearing here, and in a couple other places where I posted the info on this particular site, is...

Alot of people are mentioning that some of the info is wrong. Like wrong birthdate, or an address of a reletive, but their name, etc, etc.

I'm wondering, with this many "mistakes", if that isn't some phishing expedition to get people who are not very net savvy to email them to get that info corrected? Once they do that, they can't say a thing about privacy violations.

This whole thing gives me the heebies because it's NOT on the up-and-up, it seems.

A birth certif is given at the time of birth by a hospital mid-wife etc. A certif of live birth is given after, such as home births, or if for some reason you can't get a BC like the court house burned down and the hospital has no records then you get a certif of live birth. In some states, babies born to minors, while they have BC, the court house of records office gives out a certif of live birth instead, it doesn't list parents birth dates and sometimes not even parents names.

Shawn

drgnlvr said:

One thing I've been hearing here, and in a couple other places where I posted the info on this particular site, is...

Alot of people are mentioning that some of the info is wrong. Like wrong birthdate, or an address of a reletive, but their name, etc, etc.

I'm wondering, with this many "mistakes", if that isn't some phishing expedition to get people who are not very net savvy to email them to get that info corrected? Once they do that, they can't say a thing about privacy violations.

This whole thing gives me the heebies because it's NOT on the up-and-up, it seems.

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ding ding ding . . . i think we have a winner. and i wouldn't be surprised if the larger, established engines, won't be buying the corrected info from this one.

ahh, the world of devious business.

I'm wondering, with this many "mistakes", if that isn't some phishing expedition to get people who are not very net savvy to email them to get that info corrected? Once they do that, they can't say a thing about privacy violations.

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Just so. It's the info they ask for in order to be removed that really smells like a phishing scam to me. You basically have to give them most of the information you don't want them to have in the first place before they'll take your listing off the site. Scary, man.

I just looked up mine and something's not right. First all, they don't have me under my married name, which is odd since I own property with that name. They do have my husband's info somewhat right (though he's already taking steps to get it deleted, without giving them info--it's part of his job). The only thing they have on me is from 10 years ago and that info will only lead someone to a burned down house (not me, happened after I moved out). What I'm noticing, and what's making me feel weird. All the info I saw is the EXACT same stuff I get as Junk mail. They keep sending us stuff for my father-in-law here at this house when he never lived here. So I wonder, this group might be using the same list as the junk senders use. And if they are...then there's no way this company is going to really remove the info. They'll take it down from the site, but I think they won't destroy it.

Now, that's scary!!!

-Elaine

Man, would I hate to be one of the few people named Eric Siegel who live in Atlanta, Georgia.

Especially the Eric Siegel whose name, phone number and email address all appear when you look up the free and publicly available WHOIS entry for ZabaSearch.com.

It sure would suck to be Eric Siegel in Atlanta, Georgia, huh?

Galoot, that link took me to a page where I could do nothing but type access codes, in endless cycles, much like Purgatory. I can pretty well guess who Eric Siegel is, though.

Shawn, my document is called Certificate of Live Birth and has lots of information on it: parents' names, mother's previous deliveries, length of pregnancy, any birth injury (no), all sorts of things.

funny. . . they have me as my dad's birthday--year et al. now, there's some redneck jokes just waiting to happen.

my sister doesn't exist. now that's what i call sleuthing.

just another engine to give us more junk mail in our snail mail and more in our in-boxes.