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scullars

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Just heard about www.zabasearch.com on the radio today. It's up as a beta site during March but the web is due to finalize. You plug in your name and they have the following listed: your birthdate, address and in some cases, phone number, and images (if you have any on the web) for everyone to see (esp. stalkers). I was surprised to see my address as I am supposed to be unlisted in the directory. Also, total strangers can order a background check on a person and get all of their addresses dating back 20 years, their bankruptcy records, liens, information on relatives, friends and neighbors.

This is obviously a case of TMI, and is an irresistable invitation for someone to misuse this information. I've already emailed the owners requesting that they remove the information on me and my mother. :Wha:
 

E.G. Gammon

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That website HAS to be stopped! Both of my numbers were listed along with my home address.
 

scullars

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This site makes it too easy for someone to stalk somebody. For instance, other sites have multiple listings of names addresses. But this site provides a birthdate, which makes it that much easier to identify you. A scenario that my co-workers and I were discussing was with an abused woman moved to another state. If she's kept her name, there might be others with her name and her ex might not be willing to track all of them down. But with a birthdate, both month and year, she's as good as identified. And note, my address is NOT supposed to be listed in any directory. And it's my NEW address, just two years old, plus they have my older address. Luckily, they don't have my phone number.
 
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Fractured_Chaos

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REMOVAL FROM DATABASE

If an individual emails ZABASEARCH and provides adequate information, which is their full name, date of birth, address, and telephone number, their information will be removed or blocked from source databases. Although most information is usually removed or blocked permanently, ZABASEARCH does not guarantee that the information will not be available again in the future from other sources or ZABASEARCH itself.


Lovely, they're making no promises, here. I am not a happy camper. And I still haven't found an email address to contact them.
 

BradyH1861

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I suggest emailing them and demanding (not asking) that they remove your information from this and ALL FUTURE VERSIONS of the site within thirty days. Advise them that failure to do so will result in the appropriate legal action.

Second, forward the email to your state Attorney General's Office with a link to the website and a brief statement that you feel that your rights are being violated by this public posting of information. Ask your AG to step in and protect the public good from these internet preditors.

Third, forward the email to your state and federal congressmen. Ask them to do the same as you asked the Attorney General.

Finally, forward the email to the US Attorney General's Office and the US Department of Justice.

That's what I did, anyway.

Brady H.
 

ChunkyC

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I don't like that "Removal from Database" thing either. What they want from you to get your name removed, is just the kind information you don't want them to have in the first place. It's almost like a phishing scam.

Ugly ugly ugly. Shut 'em down.
PS -- is it a coincidence that this was my 666th post?
eek.gif
 
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Poppy

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That IS a freaky coincidence, ChunkyC.

My name doesn't appear to have a listing. I didn't check my husband's though.
 

BradyH1861

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I have a listing. Every address I've had since 1995. My wife doesn't have a listing under her married name, but she does under her maiden name.

These people just need to be put down. Crap like this is the reason why I joined the Libertarian Party. And I don't expect the government will be willing to do anything to stop it. They use "public data" stuff all the time to circumvent procedural safeguards which are supposed to protect us.

But every politician wants to get reelected. If enough people make a stink about it, they will have no choice but to listen.

Brady H.
 

sthrnwriter

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Amazingly my address isn't listed either, my old texas one or my oklahoma one. I do think this site needs to be shut down. Of course, that might not happen to after someone gets hurt because of it.
 

reph

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Brady, I don't know of a reason to think the Libertarian party would do better than any other party at suppressing this kind of cr*p. Do you? Libertarians oppose heavy-handed government, but they go easy on private enterprise.
 

William Haskins

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big brother is watching

welcome to nineteen eighty-four.

if you have a listed phone number in the united states, try this on for size: go to google and type it in using the 555-555-5555 format (area code and number, with dashes).

behold, a map to your house.

have a great evening,
william
 

BradyH1861

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reph said:
Brady, I don't know of a reason to think the Libertarian party would do better than any other party at suppressing this kind of cr*p. Do you? Libertarians oppose heavy-handed government, but they go easy on private enterprise.

Good point. I obviously do not dare presume to speak for the LP, but I think they would oppose something like this simply because of the privacy issue. But then again, I could be wrong. (Yes, it happens from time to time)

Of course, there are those that would see ME as an agent of government oppression!

Brady H.
 

maestrowork

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My newspaper said everything on that site could be easily obtained through legal means (the data seemed to be pulled from various databases -- all legal and publically available). So there's nothing the company is doing that is not legal or can't be obtained.

That said, he said it's this kind of things that would push legislature to change. It's getting too easy for any Joe Blow to get information on others. If enough people cry foul, the government would have to change the laws...
 

BlueTexas

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Wow...all my addresses from the past ten years, and some that had my birthdate but the address of a relative. Hmmm. Weirder, my most current info is bad info I gave to some website (wish like hell I could remember where) that required birthdate and all that. I have a standard fake I use for site that make you register and put in info they have no business asking for, and now this place has it.
 

BradyH1861

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maestrowork said:
That said, he said it's this kind of things that would push legislature to change. It's getting too easy for any Joe Blow to get information on others. If enough people cry foul, the government would have to change the laws...

I agree. We the people run this country, not the government. They just seem to forget that from time to time.

I once had a chicken peck me on the side of the head when I was a kid. I immediately cried fowl.

Brady H.
 

BradyH1861

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I wouldn't "think" so, but you never know.

I pull a copy of my credit report every six months and check it carefully to see if any new accounts have been opened without my knowledge. I also carefully check my bank statements and credit card statements as well.

I know it sounds paranoid, but you cannot be too careful these days. The internet is a wonderful thing, but it can be put to evil uses. These online usurpers take all of the fun out of it.

(I just wanted to use the word usurpers :Ssh: )

Brady H.
 

Alphabeter

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I feel a little better.

That site has my previous two addresses but not my current unknown one (though might have something to do with the name on the deed).
It didn't have the correct phone number for one of the addresses (which is still active, I just transferred the name on the bill to the new occupant) and didn't have my correct birth year on the other.

Still, its dangerous. Its one thing to cull public records (which usually gets some clerk suspicious anyway), but its entirely too freakishly easy to get information from a site and go a'huntin'.

Oh for shiites, I looked up a few newsworthy names. I let the two cable news anchors know what I found (their email addresses are available through their network sites) but I wonder who will tell the three actress/celebrities (and they weren't from Paris Hilton's address book) and one male model where I (and anyone else) can find them?
 

SRHowen

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Nothing on me at all. Not my married name, not my maiden name, and not my old married name. My hubby is listed, I think, as it only lists a birth month and year, butno phone number or addresses.

I also have credit protection--one of those alert things that notifies you when anything on your credit report changes, and tells you when your credit info has been looked at.

Shawn
 

Sarita

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Alphabeter said:
That site has my previous two addresses but not my current unknown one

Same here, but it did have my birthday and new phone number! Yikes! And I have a stalker out there somewhere. Hope he doesn't find this site and come to my house again! :crazy:

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.
 

Maryn

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It's got my current address and phone, and my husband's, including his work number. (How handy, since I tend to forget it.) We're in the phone book, so that's a no-brainer. They didn't get any previous addresses or phone numbers, although I hardly quiver in fear at someone visiting the old house (although if they go soon, they'll see several hundred daffodils I planted).

To my relief, it doesn't have our college-age kids' addresses listed at all.

Once again, I'm extremely relieved that I never, ever use my real name online. When/if my novels come out, I'm going to have to consider carefully whether I'll use a pseudonym.

I've never been stalked, but I've had my life threatened by a disturbed guy I banned from a chat I moderate. If he had my real name, he'd have been here. People who have upset those who know their real names and approximate ages are less safe because this site exists.

Creepy!

Added in Edit: Know any major or minor celebrities? I know a few authors and the family of an actor (although I don't know him)--and every one of them is listed with a home address, or their families' home addresses. Look up your own brushes with greatness, then move on to nationally known news anchors, politicians, musicians, actors, etc. If your experience mirrors mine, you'll find probable addresses for about 2/3 of them. Some, of course, will be business addresses, but some appear to be private residences. It might be fully possible to drop in unannounced on most of the men listed in the Hunk thread... [shudder]
 
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Maryn

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A few minutes later...

The office of the Attorney General of New York is already interested after I emailed my concerns. This bodes well for privacy freaks like me.

Maryn
 
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