The SWIPE Toolkit

THE SWIPE TOOLKIT: REQUEST YOUR DATA

What is a data warehouse? Data warehouses are businesses that consolidate data from various sources and resell it to third parties. Data warehouse sources often include, but are not limited to, the following: public records (such as birth, marriage, and death records; voter registration; court files; arrest records; property ownership and tax information; driver's license information; occupational licenses; Securities and Exchange Commission filings; and Census data), media information, merchant records, credit reports, change of address service information, phone records, student surveys, and private investigation records. Read more about commercial data warehouses in the U.S.

TAKE ACTION
1. Request your data files from four different data warehouses. With a few easy steps you will be on your way to getting a copy of your data files. First, print the forms below. Next fill out the necessary information. Finally write a check (yes, you have to pay for your own information!) and mail to the address as indicated on the form.

2. And then submit a review. Once you receive your reports (we are told the turn-around time should be 2-6 weeks), please visit us again and let us know the actual response time by the companies and your file's percent of accuracy.

THE FINDINGS
Based on the reviews you send, we can keep tabs on these databases. We are tracking the response times to requests and the percent accuracy of the information. See how they are doing and what other Toolkit participants are saying.

TAKE ACTION: REQUEST YOUR DATA TOOLS
	ChoicePoint (CP) CP says that if you have a credit card, CP has you in its database of 10 billion records. CP collects data from public records and combines that with information from credit reporting firms, the media, and private detectives. CP data is indexed by Social Security numbers. CP sells information to individual consumers, businesses, and to local, state and federal governments. CP is reportedly the biggest commercial supplier of personal data to U.S. federal agencies. The FBI, Deptartment of Justice, and IRS all have multi-million dollar accounts with CP, along with 32 other federal agencies. Request Your Data* (pdf) Submit a Review CP in the News Earnings *CP charges a $20 fee to recieve your data file.
	Acxiom Acxiom claims its database of information on 176 million Americans is the most comprehensive available. Acxiom utilizes multiple data sources including, but not limited to, telephone directories, Postal Service information, voter registrations, county assessor and recorder information, questionnaires, warranty cards, catalog buyer behavior information and product registration. Acxiom customers include government agencies, insurance firms and marketers. Request Your Data* (pdf) Submit a Review Acxiom in the News Earnings *Acxiom charges a $5 fee to recieve your data file.
	LocatePLUS LocatePLUS is an industry leader in providing online investigative solutions to law enforcement, legal and insurance professionals, licensed investigators, and other related businesses. LocatePLUS claims its relational database rivals many government databases both in size (100 terabytes) and wealth of information (9 billion rows). LocatePLUS contains searchable and cross-referenced public information on individuals throughout the United States, including individuals' names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, prior residences, and, in certain circumstances, real estate holdings, recorded bankruptcies, liens, judgments, drivers' license information and motor vehicle records. LocatePlus boasts that it can show subscribers every house they have ever lived in, every person they've ever lived with, and every car they've ever owned. Request Your Data* (pdf) Submit a Review LocatePLUS in the News Earnings *LocatePLUS used to charge a $5 fee to recieve your data file. Since the SWIPE Toolkit launched, LocatePLUS has increased its fee to $25 LocatePlus says YOU HAVE NO RIGHTS. Read the letter from LocatePlus (pdf) to one of our Toolkit users.
	Experian Experian (formerly TRW) is one of three national Credit Reporting Agencies (CRAs) in the United States. The other two are Trans Union and Equifax (formerly Retail Credit Co.). Consumer credit reports contain information on financial accounts, and include credit card balances and mortgage information. Credit reports are used to evaluate eligibility for credit, insurance, employment, and tenacy; the ability to pay child support; professional licensing; or for any purpose that a consumer approves. Experian gathers its information from public records, banks, credit card companies, and other CRAs. A Note About Credit Reports: Your right of access to your credit report is mandated by federal and state laws. Ordinarily, there is a charge of $8.00 - $9.00 in most states for your credit report. The charge is $8.00 if you live in California and free if you live in Colorado, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey or Vermont. There are certain times when you are entitled to a copy of your report free, no matter where you live. See this page from the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse to see if you are eligible for a free copy of your credit report. Request Your Data* (pdf) Submit a Review Experian in the News Earnings *This report costs $9 (see above for exceptions). Experian charges $14.95 for an instant online request.