Why hide it?
- Thread starter azcat90
- Start date
TXLX1
New member
Lol. Pretty amazing how OPSEC is pushed every where, yet in practice everything is so loose. Guess it's the world we live in now.
Victor_inox
New member
You right,full of morons.
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Boosted1
New member
Move next door
5ontheFloor
New member
I mentioned this in another thread and I'll mention it here. Nowadays there are any number of LEGAL ways to obtain personal information. Posting identifiers online just makes it easier for someone with evil intent to exploit the information that you post. IMO if you don't want to edit your plate, that's your right. If you want to share pics but choose to edit out license plate, so be it. It makes that person feel better. But just know that, as others have stated, if there is someone who has the will to cause you harm, they will exploit it.
Personally, I edit out my plate. I consider it like locking the doors to my truck. Will it stop most thieves? The opportunistic ones sure. Will it stop the determined one who wants my truck and everything inside? No. But it makes me feel a lot better knowing it's locked. Just my .02
Personally, I edit out my plate. I consider it like locking the doors to my truck. Will it stop most thieves? The opportunistic ones sure. Will it stop the determined one who wants my truck and everything inside? No. But it makes me feel a lot better knowing it's locked. Just my .02
Bluesky 07
Senior Member
It's not just cops that can get your personal info or run your plate. Dispatchers also have access to NCIC and state data. I worked with one clown who I suspect regularly ran people and plates he had no business running.
I'm with those who choose not to reveal anything online that could help someone with bad intentions. I'm constantly amazed at how many people post on FB and so on when they're gone on vacation and such. Probably harmless 99% of the time, but why even take the chance, no matter how slight?
I'm with those who choose not to reveal anything online that could help someone with bad intentions. I'm constantly amazed at how many people post on FB and so on when they're gone on vacation and such. Probably harmless 99% of the time, but why even take the chance, no matter how slight?
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Could it be that it's not a theft concern but that it could remove your online "mask"? For example, right now, you only know me as a forum username.
If I give you some other info that you could identify my real identity, I lose my "mask", my invincibility. Now I have to think twice before I pick a forum fight with you...
I've never felt a need to be truly anonymous online but I'm sure that some people do.
If I give you some other info that you could identify my real identity, I lose my "mask", my invincibility. Now I have to think twice before I pick a forum fight with you...
I've never felt a need to be truly anonymous online but I'm sure that some people do.
azcat90
New member
I really wish BLCKTPGSR would post his license plate
I know - that thing is amazing - does he execute a pre-flight checklist before he drives anywhere?
Thefishguy77
New member
I try to not show mine for a few reasons. I have had one nicely built one stolen and I want to make it harder for them. If a Toyota thief/owner wanted to say get lockers/gears ect. It wouldn't be that hard to locate the right one to harvest.
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CAMELPRO
New member
Just a ridiculous anecdote, but tell me if you've heard this one before. :crazy:
Bad guy goes online and finds a vehicle that looks just like his. He fashions a believable fake license plate with your tag number (enough to fool a security camera). Said bad guy goes and robs a bank, or a hit and run or any other demented bad guy fantasy and gets away. Now all you have to go on are witnesses and security footage, which seemingly shows your ride with your tag.
Unlikely, yes. Today's world, not exactly shocking. Enough of a hassle to prove your alibi and maybe, just maybe, kick yourself in the ass for not borrowing your buddy's tin foil hat. :tinfoil3:
Bad guy goes online and finds a vehicle that looks just like his. He fashions a believable fake license plate with your tag number (enough to fool a security camera). Said bad guy goes and robs a bank, or a hit and run or any other demented bad guy fantasy and gets away. Now all you have to go on are witnesses and security footage, which seemingly shows your ride with your tag.
Unlikely, yes. Today's world, not exactly shocking. Enough of a hassle to prove your alibi and maybe, just maybe, kick yourself in the ass for not borrowing your buddy's tin foil hat. :tinfoil3:
Thefishguy77
New member
That's funny but yea kinda scary not shocking.
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Bluesky 07
Senior Member
Re [MENTION=129990]CAMELPRO[/MENTION]'s post, I spent 8 years in public safety and fortunately, 99.9% of criminals aren't nearly that smart.
AntleredRuin
New member
Now that may have been simply to shut him up...I gotta say I've been tempted with that kind of theft/ vandalism before.
Reminds me of one of the Malcolm in the Middle episodes, 'Halloween Approximately', where Hal and Lois end up stealing someone's car (Camaro or Chevelle) because the owner won't stop roaring down the street in the middle of the night and waking everyone up. After joyriding in it a while, they end up getting it on in the back seat and have to dump the car in the lake because they've left their 'share of DNA evidence'...
RandyDaytona
New member
I have not used either, but I regularly use a commercially-available database called TLo (what used to be called AutoTrack in the early days of the internet). I think those systems you mentioned are pay-as-you-go versions of TLo that are available to anyone with a credit card.
TLo is run by TransUnion, one of the three major credit reporting bureaus. It's used by law enforcement, though only for research/background purposes: everything we find on there we need to verify by other means if it's to be used in court. Otherwise, it's just an investigative tool, i.e. to find someone, find where they work, etc. Suffice it to say that with a license plate number, someone in that system can find out everything about you, to include your SSN, addresses, etc. It's supposedly all "unverified" info, but back in the day when I worked for a different agency and worked identity fraud cases, we were actually encouraged to run ourselves. It was so accurate that it scared the sh^% out of me.
And you don't need to be a "crooked cop" to get into it, either, because this system is (apparently) available to anyone who can articulate a need and is willing to pay for it. From their own website, TLo's customers include people working in the following fields:
Collections
Corporate Risk
Financial Services
Government
Insurance
Investigative Reporters
Law Enforcement
Legal Professionals
Licensed Investigators
Repossession Industry
Skip Tracing and Investigations
That encompasses a LOT of people with potential access. Add in everyone THEY know and "a lot" goes up exponentially. Moreover, many of these folks may not have any controls on what they look at. I have to log in everyone I run and it has to be for official purposes. Think that happens with everyone else on this list?
the great him
Elite Member
ha ha, yeah i have, three theafts in 3 years, and i have finally learned most of my insurance companies loop holes and have no problems setting the screws to them tightly on this one... but thats besides the point i shouldnt have to deal with them, as i did wish or ask for my vehicle to be broken into or stuff to be stolen/damaged... but in all fairness i dont think any of the cases where my vehicles have been targeted or property lossed, were a result of someone seeing my plates. moreover i think it was a crime of opportunity or them actually seeing the vehicles in person and coming back at night or when i was not home.
this could not be more closer to the truth if it was a documentary... i have used a number of these "sites" to do "gather information" both on companies and individuals, and depending on the state you can get a lot of information from just a license plate. you can get name and address of the RO, get names and address of people associated with the RO, you can get any aliases or past/maiden names. from there you can get tax records, which will show who they work(ed) for ect. its actually pretty easy to build a profile on someone from just a plate number and a few bucks with credit card.
in the end im not really worried about folks on the forums, its too much work for someone to stalk the forums in hopes of finding a vehicle to steal or break into, im more scared about the people who drive down the street and see my pull into my driveway or see my vehicle out when im home or at work ect. those are the people who will do the harm. besides most of us on the forums who live close to one another know eachother, and if my crap ends up missing and then they show up with some new chit that looks like what i had, we gonna have words lol but 99.9% of us are too respectful of eachother to do that
Different states have different laws, but here in Texas you can get the address if you want it.
Most states will give you a zip+4 address, which is particular to the side of the street, and essentially narrows down to 1 of 12 or so houses..
I do this kind of stuff at work all the time, very big brother-ish
Red Light Cameras, Most states in order to ticket you need a view of the driver and a plate so when you cross into an intersection it clicks a forward facing photo.... Only legit reason I've ever seen.... In my college days a 'friend" didn't have any cash and NY toll booths require cash.... So "he" hid by ducking down driving through the booth..... Got a ticket in the mail with "no" driver, sent it back to court saying "doesn't appear anyone was driving...... Fine disappeared
Also some hilarious stories out there- Man Avoids 37 Speed Camera Tickets By Wearing Monkey Mask
trailtruck
New member
I agree with the ones here regarding privacy. Perhaps thieves use license plates, perhaps not. No sense making it any easier for them. You certainly aren't doing yourself any favors by not at least trying to mask PII.
