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Choicepoint

Thursday, April 5th, 2012 (No comments yet)
Lexis Nexis - The bottomless pit of user data
(Image used under: Creative Commons 3.0 [SRC][Mod])

LexisNexis (which acquired ChoicePoint) is the largest data-broker in the world. They create vast profiles on people and use that information to create various reports that they sell to companies of all kinds. These reports are used to make decisions about renting, insurance and more. In the past these reports have been purchased by law enforcement and criminal organizations; all to find out more information about you.

It might be a good idea to find out what's in your report, but it turns out neither simple web searching or LexisNexis themselves do much for listing out all the types of data they know about you. Well here's the list of information they had (or could have had) from my personal LexisNexis dossier:

Auto/Property Insurance Records:

LexisNexis is tied into the "Current Carrier" insurance information system used by insurance companies and agencies when deciding to issue you a policy. Think of it like a "credit report for insurance".

This includes 7 years worth of:

  • Name of insurance company
  • Your policy number
  • Type of policy (auto, boat, fire, quake, tenant, home, etc).
  • Risk type (standard, preferred, facility, etc).
  • Policy start date
  • Policy termination date and reason for termination
  • Names of each subject found on the policy

For auto, this also includes:

  • Insured vehicle (including VIN, year, and make)
  • Type of vehicle
  • Coverage amounts

For property, this also includes:

  • Address of property
  • Eviction records

Personal information that may be included

  • Date of Birth (partially omitted; ex. like 06/##/1970)
  • Sex
  • Social Security Number (Minus the last four digits)
  • Driver's license number (partially omitted)

"C.L.U.E"® insurance loss information reports (apparently reports on whether you're a high risk person or not)

"Esteem" report

This report lists circumstances relating to theft while working at a retail company (admitted or convicted).

In my case, this was of course blank so I don't know specifically what data items would have been included. Most entertaining, there's a line in the report that reads "If you believe we should have information about you in our Esteem Database, let us know".... Wow.

Background Investigation

If any company ever pays LexisNexis to perform a background check on you, LexisNexis will keep the information for future sales purposes. This may include your full date driving record and your personal credit file.

Screennow ® report

This report shows results of a national criminal records search.

Public Records

  • Professional licences held (Doctor, lawyer, pharmacist, barber, insurance agent, pilot, etc)
  • Address history
  • Deed transfer data
  • Aircraft registration
  • Loan information (where the loan was secured with collateral: i.e. a car)
  • Bankruptcies, liens, and judgements
  • Controlled substance license (in case you want to know who can legally get illegal drugs)
  • Business affiliations - When you're an officer or principal of an incorporated company
  • Significant shareholder records

Employment history

They claim they'll only have history of employers who previously asked LexisNexis to do a background check on you.

Does that make you uncomfortable?

Data brokers are just a business like any other, but as the credit report companies proved, buying and reselling data carelessly leads to disaster. Considering that these reports are FAR more detailed with a much wider variety of information, I can only imagine the consequences of allowing them to proceed as they have been.

Fortunately, you may not have to.

I was able to order my report using this webpage. I believe that doing so would be a good idea, but after that, make sure to also use their opt out procedures if you can.

It turns out that they'll only let your data go if you can prove that you're an identity theft victim or in imminent danger of bodily harm (police officer, public officials, etc). But it's easy to understand why they make it hard. After all, why would you set free one of your prize milk cows for no good reason?

In the end, I hope that strong regulation is introduced before we reach a problem like we did with identity theft.

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10 Comments to “What Does Lexis Nexis Know About Me?”

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sim says:
September 28, 2013 at 6:38 am

I’m sure your not surprised about this
Hackers Steal Michelle Obama’s ID Details From Data Broker
http://techbeat.com/2013/09/hackers-steal-michelle-obamas-id-details-data-broker/

Reply
    nora says:
    July 1, 2015 at 5:27 pm

    Data Broking is a nosey business. Minding other people’s business. They are worthless people that can’t find better jobs.
    imo

    Reply
Jack Quicen says:
September 29, 2017 at 1:52 am

THIS COMPANY IS HORRIBLE INVASION OF PRIVACY! They have networked peoples personal information on a level that is outright assault! Please look into this company they will destroy your life if at all possible. I am not over reacting I just read this: http://cryptome.org/2013/08/proton-clearwater-lexis-nexis.htm

EVERYONE should be aware of this. Why have we been kept in the dark?

Reply
Jacqueline King says:
September 3, 2019 at 10:26 am

By using my personal health information this company allowed my car insurance company (AAÅ) to raise my monthly premimun 10% for the coming year. What’s next?!! How many other insurance carriers will use this information to raise their rates? There’s something wrong with this!!

Reply
    Sakinah says:
    May 4, 2020 at 1:53 pm

    Peace be unto you…
    I finally have figured out where this search came from…

    Thank you…
    It must have been my new insurance company…

    This is quite insane, but we are now mostly powerless and only through persistent searching and those providing information; will we know what is going on and how to partially protect ourselves…

    Take care and be true to your heart
    With Peace and Divine Loving Consciousness Sakinah

    Reply
Sakinah says:
May 4, 2020 at 1:50 pm

Peace be unto you…
Thank you for your information…

I received my Driving Record and found this company searched for me…

These companies are out of control and there used to be regulations so as isn’t them and it had stopped for some time…

They must have found a Virtual Loophole…

Take care and be true to your heart
With Peace and Divine Loving Consciousness Sakinah

Reply
Rogaciano Resendiz says:
November 19, 2020 at 1:44 am

Delete my information from your files.

Reply
    Jeremy says:
    December 17, 2020 at 10:15 am

    I’m not certain if you’re joking, but I certainly have no information about you… other than this comment that you entered yourself. I can delete your comment I suppose…

    Reply

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