If there is any cold comfort for individuals whose data ChoicePoint sold to scam artists, its that the data was likely erroneous, if a story from MSNBC is any indication.
According to a story by technology correspondent Bob Sullivan, two years ago privacy advocate Deborah Pierce got hold of her 20-page “National Comprehensive Report,” which alleged to be a complete consumer record.
ChoicePoint has come under fire after it revealed that it had sold 145,000 consumer records to clients who turned out to be identity thefts. The revelation has triggered intense focus on information industry practices.
According to the MSNBC story, as Pierce read her file, she found that it listed references to a “possible Texas criminal history,” owing to records that might be related to her. The report suggests that a manual search on Pierce D.S. would be in order, according to MSNBC.
Pierce has visited Texas only twice, briefly each time, and has not had any trouble with law enforcement there, according to the MSNBC article.
Her file also listed the names of automobiles she claims to have never owned, three companies never owned or worked for, and an ex-boyfriend’s address as one of her former addresses. Pierce says she never lived there, and that he moved into it after they had broken up, the MSNBC article stated.
A sister’s ex-husband was listed as a relative, as were seven people Pierce did not know.
The MSNBC article also mentioned Richard Smith, a privacy advocate who obtained a similar report from ChoicePoint several years ago. Smith’s report claimed, among other alleged inconsistencies, that he had died in 1976.
According to the article, a ChoicePoint spokesperson declined to comment on the reports.
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