1. If the county discontinues access to the county's open public record database, ANYONE could go to Lexis Nexis and get the same information and the county will lose the $5.95 revenue stream it charges for anyone to access the database with a credit card. Truth or Delusion?

2. If the county discontinues access to the county's open public record database, EVERYONE will go to the Register of Deeds Office causing an office crisis. Truth or Delusion?

3. Two-to-three percent of public records contain Social Security Numbers. Truth or Delusion?

4. Crooks are more likely to access sensitive information by appearing in person at the Register of Deeds Office than by going online (suggesting that the records should remain online). Truth or Delusion?

5. All Crooks are interested in hacking into large databases, and therefore would not be interested obtaining a smaller quantity of Social Security Numbers through online public records. Truth or Delusion?

6. Crooks would not spend $5.95 to go online to obtain Social Security Numbers. Truth or Delusion?

7. Only one Social Security Number can be obtained for $5.95 (it was suggested one could only search for one name at a time). Truth or Delusion?

8. If a crook had a fraudulent credit card, they would not use it to harvest Social Security Numbers they would just go on a spending spree. Truth or Delusion?

9. Crooks would not want Social Security Numbers of people who had Federal Tax Liens filed against them suggesting that the Social Security Numbers would be useless. Truth or Delusion?

10. Because a credit card is used to pay to access the database, the Internet Protocol (IP) address would pinpoint the thief.

How many did you get right? They are all delusions-here's why.

The first seven statements were made by the County's Vendor (that's right, the fox guarding the hen house).

1. Remember Choice Point-crooks stealing sensitive information and the $5 million+ Federal Penalty? Lexis Nexis like Choice Point and every other commercial database have exhaustive authentication procedures that comply with Federal Laws such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Only local governments make it easy to gain access to personal information in an irresponsible and negligent way.  

2. This statement was another scare and confusion tactic. In (1) the first breathe they said the County will lose customers to Lexis Nexis, and in (2) the second breathe they said everyone will be going to the County. So which is it?  A number of organizations that have a need to know this information have already registered with the County and have been granted access to the database through another internet portal. Those who are on that separate "commercial access" system could be allowed continued access while the "consumer access" feature is limited until the problem of revealing Social Security Numbers is resolved.

3. A week ago, the vendor is quoted in the local newspaper as saying that only 1% of county records contained Social Security Numbers. Now he claims it 2-3%. At least he is getting closer to the 4-10% generally accepted by experts. But wait, even 1% isn't a number to sneeze at when you are talking about 10 million or more records 

4. Why have online records at all, if even the crooks would rather show up in person to get them? And if a national or international identity theft ring operated from another continent, would online or personal be easier?

5. Hacking is illegal and requires special skills. Anyone, even a low tech criminal can go online and legally obtain Social Security Numbers off the county Web site. That low tech criminal can sell many Social Security Cards around the nation based on each Social Security Number they obtain. They can make thousands of dollars on just one Social Security Number 

6. See Number 5 for the economics. $5.95 equals thousands of dollars, a good return on some else's $5.95 investment when a crook is using a fraudulent credit card.

7. Search on the name "Brown" for $5.95. The online search returns up to 200 documents for $5.95. Yes, Brown is one name, but you can get Social Security Numbers for Annie Brown, Andrew Brown, Barry Brown, Bonita Brown, etc. by searching on the last name only. And some records will show the Social Security Number of a husband and a wife-a bonus!

The next three statements were made by the County Register of Deeds. 

8. Obviously, this person needs to think like an entrepreneur instead of like a government worker. Is it that some Government workers like to spend other people's money. Identity thieves are entrepreneurs and business people who would use a fraudulent credit card to generate more Social Security Numbers so they can continue to commit a never-ending stream of fraud, and not get caught! 

9. The arrogance of the statement suggests that a person that has a tax lien is somewhat less than the rest. What if the tax lien was a mistake, due to a personal or business situation, etc? Maybe the lien is paid off and the person now has a credit score of 800. But let's put financial identity theft aside and ask this more important question-what else could an identity thief do with a Social Security Number of a person who has a poor financial standing? Make fraudulent Social Security Cards that can be sold and used to get medical treatment, a jobs, government ID such as driver's licenses and passports, and to obtain government benefits! Government ID Fraud and benefits fraud grew 100% in Wisconsin last year! Do you need good credit or bad credit to get identification and government benefits?

10. OK, Einstein, here is my IP Address. 66.168.18.166. Give me the street address I am at. And Einstein, have you ever heard of anonymous web surfing so you can't be traced? Or what if I am stealing Social Security Numbers on my wireless laptop while sipping a Latte at Starbucks. Even if you could get an exact street address, what good does that do if the crook is in another continent? 

Despite the attempt by the Register of Deeds and the Vendor to hoodwink the County Supervisors on the committee, the Committee made the right decision to require that the Register of Deeds take immediate action to remove high-risk documents from the online database and to redact Social Security Numbers on all documents.  I is worth noting that one or more county board supervisors appeared to agree or accept with the dozen or so points, represented by the 10 above.  This suggests that the governing body needs to be brought up to speed on some of the basics of identity theft, such as the crime involves more than credit card fraud.

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