Database giant gives access to fake firms

Consumer frustrated by notification
The letter urges consumers to check their credit reports for suspicious activity.

"We believe that several individuals, posing as legitimate business customers, recently committed fraud by claiming to have a lawful purpose for accessing information about individuals," it reads. "You should continue to check your credit reports frequently for the next year."

The two-page letter offers details on how to spot fraud, but no additional information about the incident, or what information may have actually been stolen.

Interactive Identity theft What to do when it happens

"ChoicePoint has apologized for any inconvenience this incident may cause," said ChoicePoint spokesman Chuck Jones.  "But ChoicePoint has no way of knowing whether anyone's personal information actually has been accessed," or used to commit identity theft, he added.

California consumer Elizabeth Rosen, who received the ChoicePoint letter Friday, was upset that the company only provided sketchy details about the incident to her.

"They gave a toll free number to call, but when I called, the person just read from a script ... they said disclosing too many details may hurt an ongoing investigation," Rosen said. "I'm not happy about this. I didn't even know who ChoicePoint was."

That reaction is common, according to Solove.

"Even though you might not have heard of ChoicePoint, they've heard of you. They are playing a role in your people's lives whether they know it or not," he said.

Privacy consultant Larry Ponemon, who operates the Ponemon Institute, said he was surprised criminals were able to pose as ChoicePoint clients.

"What really concerns me is when low-tech methods are used to gain access, than you really have problems," said. "Obviously this is very surprising, given that they are in the data business."

Jones said ChoicePoint had adjusted its procedures to "help protect against a repeat" of the incident.

Bob Sullivan is the author of  Your Evil Twin: Behind the Identity Theft Epidemic.

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