Posted by CMSNJ on 3/13/06 10:55am
Msg #104376

NNA Possible Info sharing

Check this out....In the last month I have received about 50 solicitations from various companies offering products and services. The weird part about that is that my name is spelled wrong, 2 numbers of my street address are transposed, and the email address that is being used is the one I list in my profile with NNA.

Here's why I think the NNA has shared my info. About 6 weeks ago they called me and asked if I wished to renew my membership. I politely said no. That is when the solicitations started. By the way.....the NNA has my name spelled wrong and my and the last 2 numbers of my street address transposed.

It may be a coincidence but i thought I should share what seems to be a sleazy way for the NNA to make MORE money...by selling our information to anyone willing to pay for it.

Maybe they are not selling it at all. But, what are they doing to make sure that only companies needing our services can view our info?

Reply by Charm_AL on 3/13/06 10:59am
Msg #104378

I signed up at fexnotaries when I first started...signed up everywhere!

I frequently get junk mail from people who found me there. However, none of it relates to the industry. How many people are pushing drugs online now? I get at least two a day for viagra pills and other junk.
Mass mailers find these sites to be a goldmine for spamming.

Reply by FlaMac on 3/13/06 11:07am
Msg #104381

It happened because once you ended your membership; they're no longer bound to protect your identity. Meaning: they have a strict privacy policy which they honor as long as you are a member. Once you became an inactive member; your name was put on the mailing list which they sell to everybody. If you want the junk mail to stop you can right to them and request they take you off the mailing list. They are pretty good about honoring that type of request...Good Luck

Reply by Charm_AL on 3/13/06 11:16am
Msg #104387

never heard that one, please post your source?... n/m

Reply by CMSNJ on 3/13/06 11:21am
Msg #104391

I called them and told them what was going on and they assured me that they do not share inforamtion...EVER! I asked her to explain the similarities of the errors in my contact information and she had no idea.

Reply by Blueink_CA on 3/13/06 11:16am
Msg #104386

Maybe I'm overly suspicious but

Right before I got my renewal for NNA membership, I received a call from so and so signing co that "found my name on ******* (NNA find-a-notary site)" and invited me to register with them. Since I was driving, I asked them to Email the info to me. Never received an email. It just made me wonder...

Reply by Julie/MI on 3/13/06 11:30am
Msg #104394

CMSNJ you hit the nail on the head!

In concur with your conclusion, let me tell you why.

When NASA sold to NNA I HAD to become a member. I began to get competition in my county so I used a name that would get me first on the list as it was alphabetically listed at that time. Then I did other variations of my first last name combination to keep my priorioity. Then I got fed up and let my membership laspe then rejoined again under my notary commission name. I have not been a member of NNA for almost 2 years. All the junk I began to receive in the last 6 month, has my alais name that was ONLY SUPPLIED to the NNA.

Reply by Marlene/USNA on 3/13/06 12:51pm
Msg #104407

The NNA Privacy Statement says:

"The NNA may, from time to time, contact you on behalf of external business partners about a particular offering that may be of interest to you. In those cases, your personal information (e-mail, name, address, telephone number) is not transferred to the third party.

We occasionally hire other companies to provide limited services on our behalf, such as handling the processing and delivery of mailings, providing customer support, processing transactions, or performing statistical analysis of our services. We will only provide those companies the personal information they need to deliver the service. They are required to maintain the confidentiality of your information and are prohibited from using that information for any other purpose."

. . .and more. There are several ways your info with the NNA could have been misused, that may or may not have been NNA's fault. You could insist on a follow-up and perhaps alert NNA to an abuse by one of its "trusted third parties." I know USNA would appreciate the heads-up.

Reply by cfwMI on 3/13/06 2:04pm
Msg #104431

I don't care what they say, I get spam in my personal email account, which is the only one I had when I belonged to the NNA. I have a business email accoount now and never get their junk.

Reply by Glenn Strickler on 3/13/06 3:15pm
Msg #104465

Remember, on any board you use, all someone has to do is put in a zip code to find you. Your contact info is right there for anyone including the general public to view. Advertising companies pay people to "work at home" to gather this information for them and use it for their own purposes. The NNA, 123, Not Rot and others have privacy policies, but they have no control over who views your profile, and that is why you have a profile to begin with .. to get hired by companies or individuals. I personally don't post my address, however the rest of it needs to be there and putting up with spam, junk mail etc is the price of doing business.

Reply by eXpedN_TX on 3/13/06 3:20pm
Msg #104468

When I first began my notary business I had me address on everything. Last year I changed to "Available upon request" on everything I could. I still get tons of snail mail for business credit card deals. I get a few spam emails from time to time, but mostly to another email account I use for when I order things and such.

Reply by PAW on 3/13/06 3:22pm
Msg #104471

Ah, but the NNA doesn't allow just anybody to have access to their database. You have to register as a company. The NNA, imo, then needs to do due diligence is ascertaining that the registered user is abiding by the privacy policy established. Chances are, they aren't.

Reply by O on 3/13/06 7:01pm
Msg #104560

We're sorry to learn of your being inundated with unwanted solicitations. I understand how frustrating this can be. Let me assure you that it is not the result of any action by the National Notary Association. The NNA does not sell member information to any persons or organizations. We do, however, share member information only when fulfilling or offering NNA membership benefits provided by third parties (for example, our automatic identity theft insurance coverage, which is provided by AIG).

The NNA works hard to prevent the misuse of our members' SigningAgent.com directory listings for marketing purposes (other than to market members' Notary Signing Agent services). Such practice violates the terms of use for SigningAgent.com, and sending solicitations via e-mail without prior consent of the recipient is a violation of law. We would appreciate your forwarding to us any information you have that would help the NNA identify and deter these unscrupulous individuals and organizations.

Audrey O'Kelley
Communications Group Manager

Reply by O on 3/13/06 7:03pm
Msg #104565

We’re sorry to learn of your being inundated with unwanted solicitations. I understand how frustrating this can be. Let me assure you that it is not the result of any action by the National Notary Association. The NNA does not sell member information to any persons or organizations. We do, however, share member information only when fulfilling or offering NNA membership benefits provided by third parties (for example, our automatic identity theft insurance coverage, which is provided by AIG).

The NNA works hard to prevent the misuse of our members’ SigningAgent.com directory listings for marketing purposes (other than to market members’ Notary Signing Agent services). Such practice violates the terms of use for SigningAgent.com, and sending solicitations via e-mail without prior consent of the recipient is a violation of law. We would appreciate your forwarding to us any information you have that would help the NNA identify and deter these unscrupulous individuals and organizations.

Audrey O’Kelley
Communications Group Manager