I tried to “search” the board on this topic and perhaps I did not use the correct search terms.
Where is a good place to find or buy personal information on either myself or others via the internet ?
I’m looking for a resorce which would provide info on SSN, address, job, education, criminal records, etc.
I assume this would be a paid service of some type but am having trouble locating a resource for this type of research.
Basically I am curious on what information is currently out there about myself. Of course, depending on what is available, I might also be inclined to reasearch friends, family etc.
So…why would you actually need such information and why do you think it is so readily available over the net?
If you want to know what information is out there on yourself, send for a copy of your credit information from one of the three major credit reporting agencies, all the information you listed is on it.
If you want the same information on family or friends, ask them or have a valid reason for finding such information out. If you had a need for the private information you are so interested in you would already know how to obtain it. It is apparantly none of you business!
Black Book Online is a great collection of links to a variety of personal and business onformation databases. All of the information is from public sources, but you will be amazed at what the public record has to say about you.
I’ve gotten junk mail trying to sell me some resource (a book?) that supposedly will give you the means to find out all kinds of personal information about anyone (for example, whether they have a police record, where they’ve lived, whether they’ve changed their name, whether they have enormous debt or have declared bankruptcy, things like that). They try to sell you on the point that a woman could check out a potential boyfriend, someone could check out potential employees, new neighbors, etc. I never really looked at it because I wasn’t interested, but it instantly raises questions like: are they claiming there is some central clearinghouse of accurate, up-to-date information worldwide for any one of these issues (debt, law-breaking), and that it is legal to get this kind of information on anyone? I figured it’s alarmist hooey, but I would be interested to know how much information one can legally get about another person.
We do this kind of thing for people all the time at the library. Just don’t expect us to do the whole thing over the phone. A woman called in the other day asking me to check the sex offenders list for every county in Ohio, and got pissed when I told her that she was welcome to come in and do it herself.
That is exactly what I am looking for - nothing illegal, I just want to know what kind of information is out there. I suppose I wouldnt mind paying someone to track down my own information, legal or not, just to see how much someone could find and how easily they could find it.
Some of these resources provide the name and telephone number of every neighbor you’ve ever had ! Its not that I am worried about it, but god forbid I am falsley accused of a crime and they go calling up ol’ Mrs. Easter from next door when I was a kid ! Or if someone can find out my school records or something…
On the main page, Black Book Online says “WARNING: Black Book Online is for professional investigators ONLY. If you are not a private investigator, or in the legal, insurance, collection, journalistic or law enforcement professions, you MUST leave now!”
I assume this is just hype, isn’t it? If the info were really restricted, they’d have registration and a password, wouldn’t they?