What's Happening?

May 2003

The VCR website is currently in archive mode. Everything you see was posted much earlier and is retained to give a history of the anti-credit report movement. Since the tragic events of 119 (November 9, 2000 - the day chads changed history) the power of databases to destroy has become evident to everyone. Our earlier worries about credit scores affecting interest rates that once seemed so radical appear naive in retrospect. Now you can be denied the right to travel and even "disappear" based on the same bad data we once worried could cost you a job. We saw part of it coming--what we didn't see was the willingness of Americans to let them get away with it. Updates will come when it becomes safe to do so.

Credit Bureaus to provide credit scores

12/27/00 - Bankrate.com reports credit scores to be given to victims by July 2001.

Clinton mandates jail time for medical records misuse

12/19/2000 Outgoing President Clinton today created sweeping new rules prohibiting credit bureaus and others from using your medical information for non-medical uses. Privacy advocates are waiting to see how President-elect Bush will handle this long overdue reform.

"Credit Bureaus are the consumers best friend" -- Said Barry Connely (International Credit Bureaus Chief Lobbyist) when asked about the mid-year $4.5 million jury award from TransUnion to victim Terry Cousins

2.5 Million dollar fine for busy signals

1/13/00 Equifax, Experian and Trans Union have been fined a total of $2.5 million for not providing sufficient phone lines for victims to call in and talk about their credit reports. Equifax issued a pre-prepared press release bragging about providing services to consumers for free and expressing their pleasure at the agreement. We say this tiny token payment is a good start, but flailing the corporate executives in the public square is what the public really wants and deserves.

Articles online

Bankrate.com gives an inciteful look into the pitfalls of repairing credit reports.

Uncle Sam jumping on the privacy bandwagon

Last year millions of you screamed about privacy and the gov't may have started listening. Numerous laws have been recently proposed and the Whitehouse is seeing real political interest in finally doing something other than covering it all up. The response from industry has been predictable - they claim there is no problem and produced one of their famous "surveys" to prove it. NOW is the time to send emails to the President, both of your senators and your representative.

Post Office Stumbles

Jan '00 Update: The post office has postponed the following after a massive public outcry. Good work folks!

For several years credit bureaus have placed codes in the credit reports of anyone who has ever possessed private or public post office boxes. No time limits apply and boxes used in 1986 are still appearing on credit reports today. In 1994 VCR attended a banking seminar where bureau executives bragged that their system effectively caught this type of "fraud" just as it does for addresses used by inmates in prison or drug treatment facilities. Recent discussions confirm that this code is often the "kiss of death" for credit applications and can strongly influence credit scores.

Now YOUR POSTAL SERVICE has issued an edict (Postal Bulletin 21994 - March 25, 1999) requiring you to prominently use the letters PMB in mail addressed to private mail boxes. Worst hit will be those victims of natural disasters such as tornadoes or large fires who have no choice but to use boxes while their homes are being rebuilt. Hundreds of thousands obtained boxes when mail theft increased from home mail boxes and now the post office is punishing them for trying to protect their privacy.

The solution? We need laws to prohibit the post office from selling data to credit bureaus and others who use it only to harm consumers. Write your congressperson (especially if you are in a disater prone area) and ask what you can do to stop this postal pandering to credit bureaus.

Privacy Groups oppose US proposed "privacy plan"

Wired News gives an update on European Union efforts to protect themselves from the US data cowboys. This follows the presidential appointment of Peter Swire as "Chief Counselor for Privacy" in an attempt to convince european governments that americans trust private industries such as credit bureaus to protect their privacy. Follow the discussion at Privacy International. See how reluctant the FTC and other "regulatory agencies" are unable to admit industry self regulation simply hasn't worked in "The Industry Standard" Magazine.

Federal Reserve Says Scoring Costs Jobs

April 23, 1999 - An economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco today cited credit scoring as a factor contributing to the rapid decline in California bank employment. California bank employees embraced scoring first and have written large numbers of scoring systems.Our response? "He who lives by the sword dies by the sword."

Excuse me, FTC?

Although we disagree with the premise of credit repair, sometimes you have to laugh at law enforcements way of thinking. The FTC closed a credit repair shop because the shop dared to claim that victims could improve consumer credit reports by removing "truthful" negative information. Excuse me, but nothing in the law requires a company to report anything at all. It is perfectly legal to pay a firm to restore privacy that should never have been violated in the first place - truthful or not. The law does REQUIRE "truthful negative" information to be removed in many cases including rehabilitated student loans. Notice the last line of the agreement requires that the shop remove truthful negative information from clients credit reports. (Apparently this smuck reported victims who found his service didn't work to bureaus.)

Insurance Scoring nixed by Minnesota Agents

March 29, 1999 - Insurance agents took a vote on credit scoring and decided it was of little or no value in insurance. They join with the National Association of Insurance Commisioners NAIC who have said the same thing for several years now. (Kinda restores your faith in mankind, doesn't it?)

Maybe we can sue under the ADA?

The FTC is using the euphuism "the Credit Challenged" to describe those who have no rights because of Congresses failure to stop credit bureau slander.

Hold the phone!

The infamous NCTDE telephone use database is now being advertised on Equifaxs Exchange website. Still no website or contact info for Victims to use.

Are you a Check Sequence Criminal?

We hear that some of you are being declined credit and check writing privilages because you once wrote checks out of sequence. Sounds like some scoring model salesman wants to buy a new boat.

Intel ID chip and its relation to Credit Reports

1/25/99 Intel corporation has taken a small step backwards reports NBC after being caught producing Pentium III chips that brand you and your computer with a hidden ID code each time you access the web. Credit Bureaus will of course quickly tie this ID to your social security number. The timing is awkward for the US--it was revealed the same week the Clinton administration was in Europe trying to defend the lack of controls on companies collecting data in the US (See next story). See also: Junkbusters boycott Intel

Europe Takes Action Against US due to lack of privacy

Ongoing - A united europe has restated its laws that prohibit data transfers to the US due in large part to the lack of privacy laws. The European law was passed after many nations expressed fear data on europeans will fall into the hands of US "data cowboys". More from the Brooking Institute in the world pities US privacy or order the book
  • None of Your Business: The European Data Directive which explains why congress may have to act or risk being cut off from the rest of the world.

    Credit Bureaus vs the Supreme Court -- Your Health Care at Stake

    Several major credit bureaus are doing their best to make sure your doctor gets their permission before you get medical care. One outstanding example is Equifaxs Envoy system. It is so obvious that the quality of health care you get depends on your credit rating that Equifax felt it necessary to deny it in Envoys first press release. Health care has been on the mind of the Supreme Court alot lately, ruling that policyholders may sue for racketeering when hidden discounts are given to insurance companies and that nobody (not even those with "bad" credit) can be denied emergency health care.

    Your Credit Score and access to the internet

    Why do privacy advocates such as VCR oppose recent laws about pornography on the internet? One reason is because the now discredited 105th Congress used your credit report to judge your worthiness to use the web. Under laws passed in 1997-98, it is illegal for US citizens to see many sites on the web unless their maturity is verified. Guess what that means? Services that "verify" your age to comply with the law do so by requiring a credit card and sometimes a credit check. The 105th Congress just assumed that all "real" adults have and use credit cards. Popular causes (particularly the "war on drugs" and fighting pornography) have constantly being used as a front to destroy every shred of dignity and privacy americans have left.

    Microsoft as a Credit Bureau?

    11/19/98 - There is much discussion going on about businesses who sell your data while claiming to be "privacy advocates". In November CNN reported Microsoft was one of them:
     
     "Microsoft should put its own house in order on privacy rather than waving about a discredited blueprint as a model for others," said Junkbusters President Jason Catlett. "This attempt to portray itself as a leader in consumer privacy is as preposterous as the notion that it has treated its competitors with high standards of business ethics.

    "EPIC Policy Director David Banisar downplayed the claims of the OPA that it provides effective industry self-regulation methods for online privacy, saying that the guidelines are toothless, in that they provide companies with "nearly unlimited ability to disclose personal information to other companies without real consent, while not even allowing consumers access to their own information."

    Trans Union ordered to Stop selling marketing data

    August 28, 1998 - The Federal Trade Commission has won the first round in a legal battle regarding indiscriminate sales of your personal data to sales organization.

    EXPERIAN Developing Close Ties to the internet

    August 17, 1998 - We warned you last May. Now Experian is establishing numerous business links to gather personal data from the internet. One creeping menace to your online privacy is MotivationNet a financial partner of Direct Marketing Technology, Inc. a wholly owned subsidiary of Experian. The latest joint venture involves AOL and a company called AdForce. AdForce works closely with America Online Inc. and Experian, both of which have made minority investments in the company. These marketing firms gather data through online contests/questionaires and then give your personal data (including race) to the credit bureaus. Using a twist originated by the Reagan White House, firms that work to invade your online privacy now brazenly label themselves "leading privacy advocates".

    Credit Reports used to Discriminate

    The press is starting to take notice that credit reports/scoring provides wide opportunities for banks to justify discrimination in loans. Here's how it works: since credit reports make everyone look bad, banks can justify turning down loans to those of the wrong color/religion/etc by saying the score/report was too low. Past discrimination in loan enforcement is carried forward through the use of "scorecards", which form the basis of scoring systems. If you think this doesn't affect you--remember US banks are now widely owned by foreign investment firms who traditionally favor their "own kind". We are all a minority now. There is more! See our Events archives.
     

      homepage for non frames users page