Secret Lives of Voters

Is your social security number online for the world to see?

That's the question I ask in all letters to editors across the US. It's provocative and alarming and meant to be, because the potential loss of your most personal, lifelong idenitifier should be alarming and always is to any rational human being.

Such was the body of a letter sent to the local paper in beautiful Salisbury, North Carolina. Let me inject here that the collective response to such an editorial is always either overwhelming agreement from the public - or - a scathing rebuttal letter from some short-sighted local who thinks I'm dissing his local register of deeds.

The latter was the first, swift reply in Salisbury. I had it all wrong about this lady, she was a fine person, who was I to challenge her wisdom, on and on it read. Wow, this guy really took it personally, and who knows why?

Days later I was still wondering if he even got my message when a friend called.

"Hey, remember that guy who blasted you in the Post last week?" she asked. "Yeah," I said, and started to question his intention again but was cut off by evil laughter. "You won't believe it! He filed a document right after that and wrote in bold caps across the top not to publish it, and I JUST SAW IT ONLINE!"

Well, well, well. I'll admit it, I smiled and then clicked for all of 5 seconds before seeing it with my own eyes and there, big as day, was his deed with these words across the top, "PLEASE DO NOT PUBLISH"

Unable to resist, I called him bright and early Sunday morning. His sweet little wife answered and passed the phone to him. "I know you all are getting ready for church so I won't take but a minute," I said after introducing myself.

"First of all, I want you to know I don't have a thing in the world against your current registrar. For all I know she's a fine person who's doing a fine job. The only problem I have is that she's sold out her entire county and putting everyone in danger by publishing their information online."

"Well, all you have to do is tell her not to publish something and she won't!" he huffed.

I went on. "But sir, I'm sitting here looking at a deed you just recorded, online, and it says across the top, 'Please Do Not Publish' and again, I'm looking at it, right this minute, online."

All was quiet for just a moment before he snapped, "I don't care!" and hung up.

Now I should probably tell you who this man was and where to see his comedy of errors, but I won't because I really do care about his security. And whether he'll admitit or not, he does care and now realizes that his registrar doesn't.

If you'd like to know what your local registrar has published about you online - whether you wanted them to or not - just get in touch. I'll be happy to check your records free of charge.

www.FindMyID.com

Good Afternoon, Hot Dogs

It all began yesterday at the local gas station where I was filling up and staring mindlessly at the little scrolling screen on the pump. But the message was so long that it appeared in parts making no sense at all, and read like this:

Good Afternoon Hot Dogs!

Two For $1 Car

Wash Today!

I didn't mind being being greeted as a hot dog. It's that 2 for $1 car special I hated missing out on.

A few misplaced words can make all the difference when trying to get a message across. Sometimes it's in error. Sometimes it's by design.

When examining disclaimers of land registries, they usually begin nobly with personal words like guardian and security and your safety in mind. Once the warm and fuzzy paragraphs are over, nearly every one of them read like a senior law exam and plainly spoken, warn you that the land registry will not be held for any mistakes, omissions, theft, or any other problems you may encounter because of their actions.

But they will be held accountable, and courts across America are proving it. In a statement by LawyersandSettlements.com on News For Public Officials, the law firm warns, "In several cases to date, private institutions and government agencies that hold and distribute this data have been found to be liable for the inappropriate or illegal release of private information and data, and the havoc it may wreak on the identity theft victim and their family."

The term 'illegal release' caught my attention. Doesn't it make sense that if identity theft is a felony then the people trafficking in social security numbers should also be held responsible? And if your local land registry is selling your social security number, for profit, without your permission, isn't that trafficking?

In Ohio this past year, the Secretary of State's online data was shut down within two weeks after courts there realized the potential volume of lawsuits they were facing. North Carolina's Secretary of State has just recently hired dozens of extra staff to redact sensitive information, further evidence that they know what they're doing to their citizens is wrong and could cost the state millions in settlements.

Which brings me to my last misplaced phrase seen this week in the news by the most honorable US Attorney, George Holding..

"Today's verdict sends a very, very clear message that public servants in North Carolina may not lie to the people, they may not hide the truth from the people, and they may not profit on the backs of the people."

Attorney Holding made the statement following the conviction of former lottery commissioner Kevin Geddings. But doesn't it seem a perfect statement of warning to our public officials who traffic in your personal information?

Take care, hot dogs.

www.FindMyID.com

Freedom of the Press

A great part of me is still 4 years old, sitting on the sofa with one skinny leg straight out, watching as Daddy turns down my lacy ankle socks and fastens the buckle on my shiny black patent leather shoe. I can smell his Old Spice. Mama is still getting ready but I know she'll smell like Chanel No 5 and face powder and probably for the first time in a couple of days I smell like Dial Soap and depending on how many times I've been hugged that morning, a whiff of Old Spice, as well.

We pile into the aqua Ford Falcon station wagon and head to church where I'll be greeted by Mrs Sipes and hugged repeatedly while memorizing a new Bible verse. Exactly two hours later we'll all pile back into that Falcon wagon and head to Gold Hill to meet with at least 40 other relatives at Grandma's house for pot roast (6 versions), persimmon pudding, and fried everything.

Repeat this scene times 20 years and you can understand why it's ingrained in me that grown-ups tell the truth, there's a solid line between good guys and bad guys, and when people make a mistake, they humbly apologize and move on.

This history also explains my startled reaction this week to true "freedom of the press".

All my life, I've thought that phrase meant the press had the right to say and print the truth and not be held responsible if it offended another's delicate sensibilities. They had freedom in the press. Freedom to tell the truth without repercussion.

I was wrong. I learned this week that for one local paper, Freedom of the Press means they have the freedom to print, or not, spin, or not, and believe or disbelieve regardless of evidence.

This was after receiving a phone call from a man who had seen the blog and wanted to tell me about his experience with online records. His wife's social security number had been stolen, financial havoc ensued, and they realized the only public place it was available was online at the register of deeds office. Like good citizens would, they went to inform their registrar, warn her of other potential attacks on citizens' security, and even took a yellow legal sheet full of safety suggestions they had written up together at the dining room table. They didn't get very far.

The registrar, according to this man, was "the most arrogant person I've ever encountered" and wasn't interested in their dilemma or suggestions but kept repeating, "This is the way we've always done it and I am not going to change."

Imagine his surprise these few years later to read a glowing endorsement by the Salisbury Post who quoted the registrar as saying, "There has never been an incident of ID theft that I'm aware of" (proving immediately she is woefully unaware).

Local guy immediately went to the newspaper office to tell them his story but no one would listen. "I stood there for 45 minutes essentially talking to myself," he said.

Thinking he may not have reached the right person, I decided to call and share a recent home theft by deed situation with the paper. Be blessed if I didn't get the same treatment.

I barely got my name out before the man on the other end spat, "I know who you are!" Alrighty. Well the purpose of my call, "I know why you're calling!" he interrupted again. I forged ahead thinking the incident of home theft would excite him enough as story fodder that he would calm and listen. Wrong again. Halfway through that story he quoted the registrar's belief that there had never been an incident of ID theft related to online records. "Show me one!" he asked.

But I couldn't, only because I couldn't out-talk him. He was loud. Rude. And he would not be persuaded by mere evidence, and even when I did finally get part of the story out he changed his demand to "Show me the police report!"

Problem is, there isn't one yet of that particular incident or at least one that I can find. The police department isn't talking and the girl who overheard the incident as it unfolded at the registry has no idea who the man was. She just knows he was dismissed with a wave of the hand and told to "get an attorney".

For the remainder of that brief, loud, call, we sparred in half-sentences on whether online recordkeeping was mandated by the state. (It most definitely is not.) He still believes it is, which tempted me to shout, "Show me the law!" but I refrained. After all, my purpose is to get the word out, not alienate the messenger. The call ended when he stated we have a "philospohical difference of opinion" and hung up.

What you've just witnessed is a true example of 'freedom of the press'. They can listen or not, endorse who they please, hold them as shining examples, and refuse to acknowledge the truth. That's the real freedom of the press.

No matter who the paper is or where the registry is, if they tell you that your records are safe online and that there have been no incidents relating to online publishing, they're lying and you can tell them I said so.

Thank God for Mama, Daddy, Mrs Sipes, and the internet.

Visit www.FindMyID.com We tell the truth.

Proceed With Caution

Sometime during the night a security update was installed on my computer. Thank goodness this has been pre-arranged or I might never get them. Anyway it provided quite a surprise when I pulled up Rowan County's Register of Deeds website.

Rowan Registrar Bobbie Earnhardt is in a heated debate during this election and is feverishly trying to assure her citizens that publishing online documents is safe as can be - without putting her own social security number on there, of course. Imagine my surprise when the following message appeared in canary yellow at the top of the screen:

THIS WEBPAGE COULD BE A SCAM.
PROCEED WITH CAUTION.

Honestly, what more is there to say? :)

www.FindMyID.com

An Act of Congress

The other day I read in the news where online gaming had been banned by Congress. But it wasn't, not really. What they actually banned was the payment of banks and credit card companies to online gaming companies. As my son always says when faced with a problem that doesn't respond to the first solution, "There's always a back door".

Reminds me of signs I saw years ago while traveling across the US. One read, "It is illegal to pick up hitchikers" while, a thousand miles later a similar sign might read, "It is illegal to hitchike".

"So which is it?" I asked a friend. "Probably depends on where you are and which laws have been broken the most" she said. Makes sense.

If Congress can't cure gambling addictions they'll make it illegal to pay for it. Clever. If you're dumb enough to pick up a stranger on the highway - or ask for a ride from one - they'll protect you from yourself there, too.

There's always a back door.

I'm exploring viable back door options to halt online recordkeeping. Make it illegal to sell records in bulk. Make it illegal to buy records in bulk. Make it illegal to sell records when you've taken an oath to guard them. Or, hold recorders as parties to identity theft, a felony in most states.

My little saint of a grandmother used to warn, "If you can't listen, you'll have to feel", a threat we heeded despite the fact she never once made good on the 'feel' part. On the FindMyID website, David Bloys offers a link for victims of ID Theft to contact attorneys who have settled millions of dollars worth of privacy breach lawsuits. Now there's a group of guys who know how to deliver the 'feel' part.

"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated." United States Constitution

Thanks, son. You were right. There's always a back door, whether the sharp sting of lawsuit, loss of election and reputation, or an act of Congress.


www.FindMyID.com

Still in Denial?

Just in case you're still in denial about the danger of online recordkeeping, here's a webpage you may want to explore containing the following headlines..

http://www.davickservices.com/Governments_Furiously_Removing.htm

Government Scrambles to Take Personal Documents Offline
Across the country, state and local officials are scrambling to remove documents from the Internet.

States rush to remove data on residents from websites
USA Today
States across the USA are furiously removing sensitive data from official websites.
The task highlights challenges facing states with sites full of personal information on residents, from Social Security numbers to bank account numbers.

Travis County Clerk Pulls County Records Offline
Texas
Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvoir has halted publishing the County's document images on the Internet, citing concerns about revealing individual citizens' personal data.

County Website Contains Personal Information
King County, Washington
According to Reagan Dunn, a councilman for the county.
"Clearly this is an avenue that people have been using to perpetrate identity theft," Dunn said. "It's not thousands of records; it's actually millions of records, millions of pages of records that we have online here in our index.

New Mexico County Removes Records from the Web
Dona Ana County, NM
According to a report from KOBTV-4, county officials removed the information from the Internet because they feared that identity thieves could exploit the records from anywhere they had online access. The documents are expected to remain offline, according to a county spokesperson.

County Blocks Access to Online Records Amid Privacy Scare
Suffolk County, New York
Judith Pascale, the acting county clerk for Suffolk County, New York recently released a statement announcing that her office has blocked access to its online land records following reports that its constituents' Social Security numbers were contained in various documents.

Judges taken off Allegheny County real estate Web site
Security concerns cited in wake of shootings
Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

Website Flap Impacts any public office handling records containing confidential data
Butler County, Ohio
The county’s domestic relations judges clashed with the Clerk of Courts Office over the posting of divorce documents on the clerk’s Web site. At issue were Social Security numbers and other sensitive information contained in court documents which are public records and were posted online. That drove the judges to remove all domestic relations information from the public’s view on the clerk’s Web site — over the protests of Clerk Cindy Carpenter

Property records available still, but not online
Law keeps public officials off of listings
San Bernadino County, California
Monday, August 08, 2005 - A state law passed several years ago has San Bernardino County officials blocking property information on the Internet . ..

Scanned documents pulled off Web site
OHIO
The Lorain County Recorder's Office removed scanned public documents from its Web site yesterday in response to a recent uproar over the possibility of identity theft.

County Recorder Removes Imaged Documents from Online Database
Loraine County, Ohio
On March 23, 2006, Judith Nedwick, the county recorder for Lorain County, Ohio pulled the images of public documents from the county office's Website in an effort to protect Lorain's residents from being exposed to identity theft. The records, which have been online since July 2005, allegedly contained Social Security numbers and many people had alerted Nedwick that this may have put them in danger for having their identities stolen.

County Blocks Access to Online Records Amid Privacy Scare
NEW YORK
According to a statement released by Judith Pascale, the acting county clerk for Suffolk County, New York, the county is highly concerned about invading the privacy of others and, thus, acted to safeguard those living in the county from online exposure.

Senator pushes for data inquiry
Florida
Warning that state employees are at risk of identity theft, a veteran legislator said Tuesday that the state must find out if secret personnel records were sent to India, Barbados and possibly China for computer scanning.

Judge orders removal of deeds from Web
Monmouth County, New Jersey
Until Lehrer signed his order, all deeds and mortgages recorded in the county since 1996 were available on the Internet

Reno Co. lax with SS numbers
Reno County, Kansas
The Social Security number belonging to the county's top law enforcement officer, Sheriff Randy Henderson, is available in public records. . .

Personnel data did go to India
Florida
Convergys says it was 'misled'; state wants the company to pay
Convergys and the Department of Management Services admitted Wednesday that personnel data for some state employees wound up in India.

Site makes identity theft possible, lawsuit says
Ohio
COLUMBUS | A Brown County man filed a class action lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Cincinnati on Thursday demanding that Ohio Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell immediately stop posting on his Web site documents containing Ohioans' Social Security numbers.

Ohioans' info online
Responding to a reader tip, the Enquirer checked certain records on Secretary of State Ken Blackwell's site. The Enquirer is withholding the exact type of data to protect people from identity theft. “It is a travesty that our elected officials don’t show more concern for the taxpayers they represent,’’ Engel said. “We as taxpayers need to be assured that our elected leaders aren’t posting our Social Security numbers. We need a guarantee backed by penalties.’

County to study I.D. theft prevention
North County, California
The county itself could be a target, since it collects and retains records that may include Social Security numbers or credit card numbers.

Online Counties Blow CIA Cover
The Chicago Tribune reported last week on how they easily identified and tracked over 2600 CIA employees using the services of an unnamed Internet data miner.


www.FindMyID.com