Can you get a person's date of birth from an Electoral Register?

[ladybirder]

I've put this in Chatterbank as it's urgent and I need a quick reply as this concerns fraud. I didn't think you could but somebody has just told me you can. No guessing please, I need to know for definite. Thank you.

[jackthehat]

No.

[sunny-dave]

Jack - can you work out the date when someone turns 18 from the Register for that year?

[jackthehat]

192.com give approximate age ranges......BUT there is no way that a D.o.B. can be calculated for an 'already' adult.

I take your point, S.D. but that may involve an awful lot of digging about.

[mccfluff]

no

[ladybirder]

Thank you. The reason I asked is that credit card statements have been stolen from internal postboxes in several blocks of flats, including mine. One cc company official told one of the victims that once thieves have the statement they can get the DOB from the ER. I said I thought that was incorrect. They also said they go onto geneology websites and get mothers' maiden names as well. So maybe that's where they're getting the DOB from? Anyway, as I said, thank you.

[jackthehat]

Genealogy sites only give a registration 'quarter'. To get the actual dob, they would need to buy a birth certificate.

[dzug2]

The electoral register does have actual dates of birth for rising 18s - whether in the public version or not I'm not sure. But the information is recorded there

[craft1948]

A genealogy site, as Jack says, only gives the 3 month period in which the birth is registered. I suppose they could trawl newspapers for birth announcements.

[Old_Geezer]

I've not found buying a BMD certificate that difficult. Not that I've bought any since they started folding them in half before posting them.

[craft1948]

I think for recent birth certificates you actually need to know the actual birth date before you can apply for them, not just the details from a genealogy site.

[rowanwitch]

If you were thinking of id fraud you might think getting a copy of a birth certificate worth while

[ladybirder]

Well these people obviously did Rowan. Once they got the statement they filled in the change of address bit to divert the next bill away from the owner. They then actually made a payment to keep trouble at bay while they were digging around, and then wham, hit the card, AND the one they had added to the account, for the maximum credit amount. Not one person noticed they hadn't had their statement until they got a call from their cc company.

[Maydup]

So I assume all's well ladybirder if the ccard company has called you. The card cancelled and a new one on its way?

[Eve]

I just tried to have a look for me and it has here you can get a DOB with a paid search.

http://www.freeelecto...ee_find_people_uk.asp

[Eve]

Also, I'm sure on FB searches that you can see some people's date of birth if they have it on, even people you are not friends with.

Just tried a random name and can see some full dates of birth. Don't suppose it's too hard to find people on there! I'd make sure your DOB is hidden and profile as hidden as possible if you have one.

[ladybirder]

I'm lucky thanks it hasn't happened to me as I get my statement on line. But it has happened to two others here. Because the police haven't caught the men responsible who have been intercepting our post, those affected are having to have their replacement cards sent to another address. And of course there may be others affected who haven't realised yet.
We have had tips from a security company today though and one was to never put your mother's maiden name in as this can be traced by a determined person. Either pick another question or if you are forced into the mother's maiden name just put anything random, yellow, teaspoon, coal-bucket, whatever, it doesn't matter. The more unrelated to the question the answer is, the better. Most people answer it properly and you don't have to. Just as long as you remember the answer you're OK. And do the same with the rest of the questions. Don't forget to remember them tho:-) I'd love to think some thieving so and so has spent hours researching your M'sMN only to get a big fail.