License Plate # security on photos. To show or not to show?

[RYU]

I know a lot of us take the extra step of photochopping out the license plate # before we post images of our cars but i'm guilty of being lazy sometimes or just simply forget to fire up photoshop to do that. I'm about a 7 on a paranoia scale of 10 so i'm a bit concerned but won't lose any sleep over it.

What's the real risk of being identified and how easily can your license plate # lead to more personal information like home address, etc?

I found this online and it seems it still takes some effort to track someone. What am I missing?

Do you have a license plate or license tag number and you need to find out the name and address of the owner of the vehicle? If so, you might have already realized that there is no free online database of license plate numbers.
Don't worry. There is still hope. If you need to conduct a reverse license plate number search online, below are several methods to accomplish your goal.

• The first method is to hire a private investigator. Find your local phone book and turn to the private investigation pages. Start calling and get prices for how much they charge to run a license plate trace. You can expect to pay $150 to $300 to get this service completed in your local area.

• The next method is to use a large online private investigation service like Abika.com or BestPeopleSearch.com. These services will charge you $79 or more to search by license plate number. You will normally get back a combination of the following information: the first and last Name, address, registration and expiration date, make and model of vehicle, VIN number, title number, lien holder name. These services can normally get information for most states in the United States as Canadian Provinces. License plate data for additional countries are also available depending on the service.

• The third option is to join a private investigation tools membership service where you have access to databases and resources used by private investigators. These memberships normally start at $29 to $59 per year and give you access to all sorts of people search databases used by private investigators. This is a good choice if you're willing to do the work yourself and you want to save a little money. The downside to this option is there is no guarantee that you will be successful in your search.

As you can see from the options above, there is no such thing as a free reverse license plate search. About the only way you can get it done for free is if you know a law enforcement officer who will conduct the search for you (they have access to all of the databases).

 

[Dtrigg]

I don't see why it's a big deal. Someone can get my license plate number as I am driving or the car is parked. What's the worry?

 

[CL65 Captain]

 

[e.pie]

I don't see why it's a big deal. Someone can get my license plate number as I am driving or the car is parked. What's the worry?

same here, I never really understood the paranoia

 

[NousDefions]

same here, I never really understood the paranoia

The "paranoia" is because it is never a good idea to make it easy for people to gather information about you over the internet, especially if that information involves the location of an expensive sports car.

I'm a bit over the top: there is no paper trail whatsoever to my current residence, and I go to great lengths to keep it that way. I have my own reasons for doing so, but I do know of people that have been "tech cased" or "internet reconed" by thieves based on pictures they had posted to the internet. I'm never surprised at the length people will go to commit evil deeds towards their fellow man.

 

[RSO 34]

The license plate is the least of your worries. If I just have your name and general geographic location or even estimate of your age I can get all your personal information including social security number, mortgages, all yours cars (including VINS and Tags), real estate, voter registration, etc. etc. etc. On some level these are all public documents and many people have access to some or all of it. The first time I searched myself I was shocked at how much of my life was available.

 

[4AU4LIFE]

same here, I never really understood the paranoia

+1....I'm with you on this.
I have more important things to worry about than trying to blot out my tag number. Then again, I don't bother to take pictures of my car and put on internet so I don't really have much to think about.

 

[curtsr]

I'm gonna come get that sweeeet Integra LS!

 

[LJSB]

The first time I searched myself I was shocked at how much of my life was available.

I did a search like that and was shocked at how much I missed, forgot and had to make up the rest just so it made sense.:biggrin:

 

[docjohn]

Not sure about why folks blockout tags for cars on the street at shows ect unless you lied to your sig other as to your whereabouts that day.I do think part of this phenominum was in part promologated from the track whores who did'nt want specific identifyers to prove that they were violating insurance coverage.

 

[SuperSonic]

some ppls have told me they didn't want their cars all over the net really. I have a buddy with a r33 skyline. If anyone knows what the feds are trying to do to "take" the cars back, i would not want my plates in any pics. Same goes for people out of state. Here in cali a nsx is not as uncommon as the mid west. I dont care if people see the plates really, its just more i dont like knowing that if it is tricked out like sfdreamers for example, you dont want the rest of the world knowing where you live.

 

[95ttht]

It's just common courtesy if you're posting pictures of other peoples cars.

You would be shocked at what information is available out there. When shopping for a home recently I was told you could go to the courthouse and pull up previous home sales information with just the address from public records.

So I punched in a few houses on either side of the place I was interested in. Sure enough, for $8 it printed out a full report that showed all the previous sale prices, previous owners, as well as the current owners names.

But I was really shocked to see it show me the mortgage amount (and exact bank branch). Since liens are registered for mortgages, that information becomes public record.

 

[LJSB]

some ppls have told me they didn't want their cars all over the net really. I have a buddy with a r33 skyline. If anyone knows what the feds are trying to do to "take" the cars back, i would not want my plates in any pics. Same goes for people out of state. Here in cali a nsx is not as uncommon as the mid west. I dont care if people see the plates really, its just more i dont like knowing that if it is tricked out like sfdreamers for example, you dont want the rest of the world knowing where you live.

The Feds? You really think they would have to waste their time surfing the net, looking for pics of license plates to find out about ANYONES car?
Seriously?

 

[shawn110975]

I remember a Commercial with this Guy showing his real Social Security number on tv for some fraud protection thing,, well they had to pull the Ad cuz he got it good,, his credit score went down,, was sued a few times from companies that had sold Criminals cars and homes with his Social Security number,, but if a criminal wants your NSX he will get it one way or another,, Lo-jack your car so you can get it back, but showing your Plate on your car,, all anyone has to do is take it to the court house and pay 6 bucks to get you DMV info,, patriot act my asz more like "we the government that rule the people and will one day take all your rights",,,

 

[curtsr]

the constitution was writen to Lure the people to america,, but now that we have people they are tring to slowly wipe those rights away I hate the Gov.. anyone ever heard of the Black Eagle Gold Fund? Nazi Gold stolen from the Jews hidden under the Towers in NY? and all the gold stolen from Japan after we bombed them under the towers also? and the OSI doing an investigation and that their data that was tracking that gold fund,, was in the pentagon,, the part that was being renovated? the part that was hit with a suposed plane? and no one was killed? and no wreckage of a plane,, and that a suposed passenger plane hit the towers but looking at the videos there were no windows on the plane?? cargo plane maybe? and people saying they heard what sounded like charges going off seconds before the towers fell? how do you take down an old building? you place charges on key points of the structure press a button and down the building goes!! Our gov is doing weird stuff guys!! and to look up someones Plate is the start of it all

Great stream of consciousness rant!

The "paranoia" is because it is never a good idea to make it easy for people to gather information about you over the internet, especially if that information involves the location of an expensive sports car.

Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're NOT out to get you.

I'm never surprised at the length people will go to commit evil deeds towards their fellow man.

That's why John Browning gave us many gifts, not the least of which is the .50BMG.

 

[RYU]

The Feds? You really think they would have to waste their time surfing the net, looking for pics of license plates to find out about ANYONES car?
Seriously?

I was following this a couple of weeks ago. The feds are going through unheard of efforts trying to secure a bunch of "gray" market Skylines. Even the recent Cizetta here in Socal was a victim. I thought the state had budget issues but these guys are on a man (or car) hunt!

It's just common courtesy if you're posting pictures of other peoples cars.

You would be shocked at what information is available out there. When shopping for a home recently I was told you could go to the courthouse and pull up previous home sales information with just the address from public records.

So I punched in a few houses on either side of the place I was interested in. Sure enough, for $8 it printed out a full report that showed all the previous sale prices, previous owners, as well as the current owners names.

But I was really shocked to see it show me the mortgage amount (and exact bank branch). Since liens are registered for mortgages, that information becomes public record.

it's amazing what you can get for almost no money. i paid for "extra" services before buying my house. yes, it's helpful to know these things as a bargaining chip when you're the buyer but I feel everything these days don't protect the seller. don't even get me started on the landlord/tenant issues here in California.

I guess it's good that I register my cars at my work address. That's one more paper trail dead end for the NSX I hope.

 

[4AU4LIFE]

I remember a Commercial with this Guy showing his real Social Security number on tv for some fraud protection thing,, well they had to pull the Ad cuz he got it good,, his credit score went down,, ,,

Wasn't that called LifeLock? He was offering a $1 million promise that your identity couldn't/wouldn't be stolen if you purchased his product.

 

[Kyras]

I post my license plate with my car photos but I do Photoshop out the street address on my house.

 

[nsxpilot]

I'm gonna come get that sweeeet Integra LS!

just gagged on my coffee lol.....

 

[nsxbuilder]

Mine is "NSXBLDR", and I have insurance.

I was once vehemently chastised on this very board for posting images of an event I was at that showed plates. OK, I know information can be used for many purposes, but if I were a thief shopping for cars, do I go to the NSX boards, or do I head over to the Ferrari, Lambo, Porsche, Maserati, Aston, Jag, etc. boards and start looking there? Walk around a Cars & Café and target the $1M+ cars? Unless we're talking about one of the 'Gone in 60 Seconds' car theft rings sending cars to a secret underworld buyer in Kazakhstan, who the hell would try to get on your private property, into your garage (mine has 2 levels of security: electronic and a backup system from Desert Eagle), find a way to start/move the car and expect to get away alive? Now thieves are normally not really smart, and go for the low hanging fruit (a car in public), but there are crafty bastards out there. There always will be. That's why I have insurance.

My $.02 on this is BFD.

 

[Kyras]

Mine is "NSXBLDR", and I have insurance.
...

My $.02 on this is BFD.

:biggrin: My thoughts, too.