Information Broker

The number of companies specializing in providing this information has proliferated as Internet technology makes these searches faster and more efficient. In the business these firms are known as "information brokers." They prepare a detailed financial report about an individual subject at the request of a particular client. Or they may collect a broad list of names which meet specific financial characteristics. For example, a list can be developed with the name of every bank customer, over sixty-five years old, with more than $50,000 in a certificate of deposit. The information is sold by the company to a marketing firm targeting these individuals for a competing financial product. There are now hundreds of these information brokers advertising their services on the Internet. It is not necessary to bribe bank officials or employees or to send operatives on covert missions to steal protected bank files. An experienced investigator can gather the requested information with a computer and a telephone within a few minutes or hours.