Get LexisNexis Reports. Then opt out!

LexisNexis is a legitimate source of personal consumer information for many businesses. This information includes real estate transactions and ownership, lien, judgment and bankruptcy records, professional license information, traffic and criminal records, address history and more. In spite of being a “legitimate” source of data, this information can lead to negative consequences such as loss of employment and business opportunities, high insurance rates, an increased risk of identity theft and a possibility of personal danger due to location and contact data. That said, LexisNexis follows strict guidelines before providing their reports to those who request them. LexisNexis also has a system in place to correct inaccurate information. For those living in states with active privacy laws, there is an option to opt out of some data sharing. 

To begin, request your information online, via telephone or by USPS.

Call 1-888-497-0011 to order information on yourself by telephone.

• • You’ll be required to provide your driver’s license, social security number and other verification such as your address and birthdate
  • Sometimes the person you reach will agree to email the unverified report that same day. Other times, you will have to wait for it to arrive by USPS.
  • The Full Disclosure Report may be large. When I requested mine, I could only receive it by USPS, not email.  (My first report was 496 pages long and arrived approximately 2 weeks after I requested it.) There is still an option to receive the report by USPS but if you prefer online access, they’ll email you instructions by USPS as to how to access it online after your request has been validated and processed.

Alternatively, you can request your information by filling out the form in this link and then emailing or mailing it to LexisNexis per the instructions on the form. (It’s not a good idea to email social security numbers so I encourage telephone or postal mail instead.)

After you receive and review your reports you will know if you need to take further action. You may need to contact LexisNexis to correct erroneous information.

Take steps to correct inaccurate information found on your LexisNexis report.

• Call 1-888-217-1591 to get assistance from a consumer center representative.
• Request a Description of Procedure Letter to walk you through the steps to correct the inaccurate data.

If you see accurate but problematic information, in most cases it will not be correctable. However,  knowing that others have access to this information will give you the opportunity to figure out what to do with that information. For example, you can craft a narrative to explain an old arrest or bankruptcy. This is important to avoid being put at a disadvantage when others, such as a potential employer, discover that information first.  

When available to you, opt out from sharing as much information as you can. Privacy rights differ from state to state. See this link for state specific opt out options and privacy rights in California, Colorado, Connecticut, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Virginia.

Until next time,… Stay Cyber Safe.