slightly OT: identity verification

So, recently I deposited a modest sum in a CD at a well-known financial institution.

When I registered at their on-line site, they verified my identity with a set of questions similar to what you get when you go to download your "free" annual credit report from one of the three recognized credit reporting agencies.

What I am puzzled by is this: one of the questions was in regard to the address of a real property I formerly owned, which was not directly financed upon either purchase or sale.

I know that real property ownership records are more or less public information; however, why would a bank know and ask me about same, as an identity verification technique? Is there a nation-wide, commercially-accessible, database of historical property ownership?

-Mark Bole

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Mark Bole
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Considering the current real estate shake-up, perhaps they wanted to check to see if there are any foreclosures pending (or recent)? By checking that specific address's record?

Or there could have been assumptions:

  1. That the previous property was your residence. Credit and banking applications often ask for previous address.
  2. That you would give accurate information, regardless of whether it could be confirmed. Meaning that that info is now in their records for analysis of your general status/history.
  3. As per (2.) they might want or need to confirm this item in the future for some reason (e.g. to determine that you lied, if that were the case.)
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Coffee's For Closers

[...]

By coincidence, I read an article about governmental "fusion centers" shortly after I posted. From the Dept. of Justice web site:

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Big Brother is truly here. (internet search for "fusion center database" will turn up lots of other relevant links).

In retrospect, I think in my case, there may have been a month or two when the utility bill was in my name, I suppose that is the simplest explanation for why some bank in Texas would have the address of a property in another state that I never financed or lived in and no longer own.

-Mark Bole

-------------------------------------- Misc.invest.financial-plan is a moderated newsgroup where Moderators strive to keep the conversations on-topic for financial planning. Other posting guidelines include a request for brevity and another for trimming posts to which we respond. For all of the other tips and suggestions, see "FROM THE MODERATORS: Posting to misc.invest.financial-plan", a weekly post now on the Newsgroup.

Reply to
Mark Bole

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