If a total stranger with no special authorization (like being government agent or something) had only a basic amount of “public” information about me – just my name, address, phone number and email account, not SS#, cc or bank account #s-- how much could he/she learn about my financial standing? I’m talking about things like my income status, credit history/rating, tax reports, financial assets, etc.
Scenario #2: Let’s ratchet things up a bit. Say, the stranger was in a field dealing with regular financal transactions – like banking, money management, stock brokering – how much could he/she learn then? Is there some special financial database or service they have access to that Joe Internet Surfer doesn’t?
Thanks all, in advance.
If you bought property it is recorded.
In some states info about your car can be obtained with a plate number, and that includes if the owner is a bank, proving you had to finance that '95 Honda Civic.
The last selling prices of houses are online and easy to search for many states. You can look up friends and neighbors all day long and the approximate cost of their mortgage is a biggie. Services like zabasearch will sell you online background searches on any in just a few minutes and give address history and family members. Court records are generally available to anyone. Once you know the person’s job and where they live, salary.com can give you a general idea of how much they make. It may be public record as well if the person works in government or is an officer in a publicly traded company.
Real estate you own, and the taxes you pay on it, are public records. A bankruptcy filing is a public record. In some states (e.g., Wisconsin), the amount of state income tax you paid is in the public record. In many states, the salaries of state employees are public records.