ADDRESS DATABASE?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SANDY SANDFORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C'punks, Something of privacy interest happened to me yesterday. I phoned a company to ask for a copy of their catalog. The phone clerk asked for my last name and zip code. After receiving that info, the clerk asked me, "Is this your full name and address?" and then gave them both correctly. I was taken aback. I have been at my new address for only a couple of months. Prior to that, I have been couch surfing for a year and a half. Though I called an 800 number, ANI had nothing to do with it since I was calling from work. It may have been from a database associated with a credit reporting agency, a bank or a utility company, but I am not aware of any of these being available on-line for something as mundane as requesting a consumer catalog. The clerk had no idea where the info came from (or so he said). Does anyone know how this trick was done? S a n d y P.S. If anyone is interested in helping to make an adult film, drop me a note. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

sandfort@crl.com said:
C'punks,
Something of privacy interest happened to me yesterday. I phoned a company to ask for a copy of their catalog. The phone clerk asked for my last name and zip code. After receiving that info, the clerk asked me, "Is this your full name and address?" and then gave them both correctly. I was taken aback.
Taken aback? Its only going to get worse in the future. As Telcos, credit card companies, etc., start looking for new ways to make money I think selling information about you will increase dramatically. Just think, with new and improved "interactive TV" you will be able to get commercials tailored to your purchasing habits (A doctor would get an commercial for an expensive car, while Joe Sixpacks would get the Ford Fiestiva).
I have been at my new address for only a couple of months. Prior to that, I have been couch surfing for a year and a half. Though I called an 800 number, ANI had nothing to do with it since I was calling from work. It may have been from a database associated with a credit reporting agency, a bank or a utility company, but I am not aware of any of these being available on-line for something as mundane as requesting a consumer catalog. The clerk had no idea where the info came from (or so he said). Does anyone know how this trick was done?
You might be the victim of the CD-ROM phone-book people, but I doubt it if you have a new address (the versions lag 6+ months). Telcos like Soutern Bell and South Western Bell are now offering directory lookup service to corporate customers on a per-lookup charge. I think we signed on for our collections department to find delinquent individuals. Perhaps even more frightening is that we now access to account information from the Star network. With your I.D., we can do a hit to see if your account is still open, closed, overdrawn, or in good standing. I wonder how long it will be before it is repackaged giving account balances. ... be afraid...
S a n d y
P.S. If anyone is interested in helping to make an adult film, drop me a note.
participants (2)
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Sandy Sandfort
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turner@TeleCheck.com