[2976] in WWW Security List Archive
Re: Can you say "fraud"? (fwd)
daemon@ATHENA.MIT.EDU (Ken Cantrell)
Wed Sep 18 09:23:55 1996
Date: Tue, 17 Sep 1996 17:05:37 -0400 (EDT)
From: Ken Cantrell <kec@cs.clemson.edu>
Reply-To: Ken Cantrell <kec@cs.clemson.edu>
To: Mary Irene Wise <auntyem@umich.edu>
Cc: www-security@ns2.rutgers.edu
In-Reply-To: <Pine.SOL.3.95.960917084104.21582B-100000@battlezone.rs.itd.umich.edu>
Errors-To: owner-www-security@ns2.rutgers.edu
I apologize in advance for the horrendus formatting of this mail, but I
wanted to include the information from the web sites.
>From the Lexis-Nexus newsletter originally describing P-TRAK (which can be
found at:
http://www.lexis-nexis.com/lncc/products/infopro/lnipu-796.html
----------Begin Quote from WebSite (more after this)-------------------
Quickly Find Key Witnesses, Shareholders, Others with the
new P-TRAK file in FINDER
The new P-TRAK Person Locator file in the FINDER* library puts 300 million
names at your fingertips. With data compiled from the headers of credit
reports by a national credit reporting company, P-TRAK information
includes the names of individuals, maiden names, aliases, current and up
to two previous addresses, birthdates, and telephone numbers.
Please note: the P-TRAK file DOES NOT contain credit histories or credit
information.
P-TRAK simplifies your search for key individuals. For example, you can:
Find defendants to serve process
Locate key trial witnesses
Track down heirs and beneficiaries
Collect judgments
Locate shareholders
Find key parties for investigative journalism
Trace elusive parties in private or government investigation
When you select the P-TRAK file in the Person Locator (FINDER) library,
the screen displays information about P-TRAK:
P-TRAK--PEOPLE LOCATOR FILE *LOAD DATE:05/14/1996 UPDATED MONTHLY
TO SEARCH P-TRAK: --Press the NEW SEARCH (.ns) key.
COVERAGE: National
CONTENTS: --Name and Alias Names or Maiden Names
--Current and Previous Addresses
--Birthdate
--Telephone Number
The Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. sec 1681) prohibits use of
information from this file to determine a consumer's eligibility for
credit or insurance for personal, family or household purposes, employment
or a government license or benefit. *LOAD DATE reflects the date
LEXIS-NEXIS loaded new documents online. DUPLICATE DOCUMENTS MAY EXIST
When you select the P-TRAK file, an automatic screen display appears,
offering you information about the file. It is necessary to use the .ns
(new search) command to clear this display prior to typing your search
request.
Sample Searches
If, in all 50 states, you are trying to locate a person named Armand
Nunn** enter .ns; armand W/5 nunn
To conduct the search in a particular state, add a postal abbreviation.
For example, to search for Armand Nunn** in California enter .ns; armand
W/5 nunn AND ca
* FINDER is not available to Business Education Subscribers.
** Fictitious name used in these sample searches.
-------------------End Quote From Web Site------------------
Notice that the above doesn't mention social security numbers at all.
However, if you peruse some more documents, such as the one at:
http://www.lexis-nexis.com/lncc/products/media/issue396.html
you will find that P-TRAK DOES CONTAIN social security numbers.
The excerpt follows:
-----------Begin quote from Web Site (more after this)------------------
Media Insight, Issue 3, 1996
Location Unknown? Visit our Lost and Found
If he owned property, I could have looked him up in ASSETS; ALLOWN; or a
business, INCORP ALLSOS; or had a published phone number, FINDER; P-FIND.
He moved often and used several different names, making him virtually
untraceable. Yet I located him within minutes in the new LEXIS-NEXIS
person locator file, FINDER; P-TRAK.
P-TRAK contains 300 million names and addresses, almost three times as
many as the previously largest LEXIS-NEXIS public records file, P-FIND.
With P-TRAK you can often secure a person's real name by entering an alias
and conversely, an alias by entering the real name, or a maiden name by
entering the married, and vice versa. You can often obtain a person's
current address by entering the previous, or previous by entering current,
and verify the individual by birthdate and social security number. You can
use whatever information you have - the name, address or social security
number - to get the information you need
john W/5 dough AND ny
was all it took to locate him. I could have searched the entire United
States with simply - john W/5 dough - but I knew he lived in New York. So
I narrowed my answer set and saved myself reviewing time by adding the
state postal code abbreviation.
If you do not have access to P-TRAK, please contact your account
representative.
------------End Quote from Web Site-------------------
But again, more searching shows that although SSN numbers are part of
P-TRAK's database, they can only be used to search _with_, they are not
returned as part of data. This is from:
http://www.lexis-nexis.com/lncc/products/insight/issue496.html
------------Begin Quote from Web Site (more after this)---------------
P-TRAK or P-FIND?
Also in the FINDER library is the P-FIND file. P-TRAK has more names (300
million) and also has up to three previous names used by the listed
individuals. However, P-FIND has greater detail with regard to the
individual's household (value of home, number of dependents). Which file
you choose depends on your information requirements.
Note: Neither file contains credit histories or credit information, nor
can they display social security numbers. However it is possible in the
P-TRAK file to use the SSN as a search term.
-------------------End Quote from Web Site-------------------
Hope that helps.
On Tue, 17 Sep 1996, Mary Irene Wise wrote:
> Date: Tue, 17 Sep 1996 08:44:39 -0400 (EDT)
> From: Mary Irene Wise <auntyem@umich.edu>
> To: www-security@ns2.rutgers.edu
> Subject: Can you say "fraud"? (fwd)
>
> This is probably a bit off-topic; if so I apologize.
>
> Can anybody comment on the item forwarded below my sig file? It claims
> there's a database w/ people's credit card no's etc on it and you have to
> give your name and social security number to get off of it. This strikes
> me as being a scam to get your ssn, but this went around at work and
> people are actually calling and giving it out. I know ssn's aren't really
> as secure as they're supposed to be, but still...
>
> So, does anybody know if this database is for real or if it's just a scam?
>
> TIA,
> Mary Wise
>
> --------------------------------- *** ------------------------------------
> Mary Wise |
> Computer Systems Specialist * auntyem@umich.edu
> LSA Information Technology | homepage not availabe at this time
> 3557 LSA Bldg 1382 *
> University of Michigan |
> (313) 647-6230 *
> |
> --------------------------------- *** ------------------------------------
>
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> >
> >
> > Your name, social security number, current address, previous addresses,
> > mother's maiden name, birth date and other personal information
> > are now available to anyone with a credit card through a new Lexis database
> > called P-Trax. As I am sure you are aware, this information
> > could be used to commit credit card fraud or otherwise allow someone else to
> > use your identity.
> >
> > You can have your name and information removed from this list by making a
> > telephone request. Call (800)543-6862, select option 4 and
> > then option 3 ("all other questions") and tell the representative answering
> > that you wish to remove your name from the P-trax database. You
> > may also send a fax to (513) 865-7360 or 865-1930. Include your full name and
> >ssn in the fax. You can also send physical mail to
> >
> > LEXIS-NEXIS
> > P.O. Box 933
> > Dayton, Ohio 45401-0933.
> >
> > Sending physical mail to confirm your name has been removed is always
> > a good idea.
> >
> > As word of the existence of this database has spread on the net, Lexis-Nexis
> > has been inundated with calls, and has set up a special set of
> > operators to handle the volume. In addition, Andrew Bleh (rhymes with
> > "Play") is a manager responsible for this product, and is the person
> > to whom complaints about the service could be directed. He can be reached at
> > the above 800 number. Ask for extension 3385. According to
> > Lexis, the manager responsible is Bill Fister at extension 1364.
> >
> > I called this morning and had my name removed. The representative will
> > need your name and social security number to remove you from the list.
> > I suggest that we inundate these people with requests to remove our
> > info from the list and forward this e-mail to everyone we know.
> >
> >
> >----- End Included Message -----
> >
> >
> >
> >Cheers . . .
> >
> >"The backup procedure works fine, but the restore is tricky!"
> >_____________________________________________________________________________
> > | _ \ Amanul Haque
> > | | \ \ Pencom System Administration
> > | |_/__/__ __ 9050 Capital of Texas Highway North, Austin, TX 78759
> > | _/ ___/| \ Email: ahaque@pencom.com
> > | | \___ \| \ \ Pager: (708) 643-7331
> > |__| /____/|_|__\___________________________________________________________
> > Pencom Web Page : http://www.pencom.com
> >
> >
> >
> >------------- End Forwarded Message -------------
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
>
> Nancy L. Cassidy
> University of Michigan
> LS&A Budget & Finance Team
>
> 2557 LSA Bldg. 1382
> Tel: (313) 764-6465
> Fax: (313) 764-2697
>
> -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
>
>
>
******************************************************************************
Ken Cantrell * Graduate Studies, Computer Science, Clemson University m
kec@cs.clemson.edu * ken@science.smsu.edu * kcantrel@nyx.net :(KEC)!
kcantre@hubcap.clemson.edu * kcantre@mail.clemson.edu
******* Don't forget to Smile . . . That's why God gave us Fangs *******
