INTENDED AS A STUDENT TEXT AND A HANDBOOK FOR THE FIELD PRACTITIONER, THIS BOOK DISCUSSES A WIDE RANGE OF TOPICS IN CONFIDENTIAL PERSONAL INFORMATION. IT FOCUSES ON THE PROLIFERATION OF DATA BANKS, WHICH NOT ONLY STORE MASSES OF PERSONAL INFORMATION BUT ALSO ARE CAPABLE OF POOLING AND INTERCHANGING THE DATA. THE PRACTICES OF PERSONAL AND MERCANTILE CREDIT REPORTING AGENCIES, INSURANCE INVESTIGATORS, LENDERS, AND EXCHANGES ARE COVERED. IN ADDITION, THOSE PRACTICES OF CREDIT CARD ISSUERS, MOTOR VEHICLE DEPARTMENTS, BANKS, MEDICAL INFORMATION BUREAUS, AND COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES ARE PROBED. THE SECTIONS ON EACH OF THESE TYPES OF DATA HOLDERS DESCRIBE IN DETAIL WHAT INFORMATION THE AGENCY KEEPS ON RECORD, WHO HAS CUSTODY OF THE RECORDS, HOW TO GET AT THE INFORMATION, AND HOW CREDIBLE THE INFORMATION IS. A DISCUSSION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS EXAMINES THE CONTENTS OF CRIMINAL FILES OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL POLICE ORGANIZATION; NATIONAL POLICE INFORMATION SYSTEMS; AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM WITH ITS STORED MASSES OF INFORMATION ON ALL INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE COME INTO CONTACT WITH ITS COMPONENTS. KINDS OF INFORMATION KEPT BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES, AND METHODS OF IDENTIFYING PERSONS, INCLUDE SYSTEMS FOR PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION, BEHAVIOR, PERSONAL IDENTIFIERS, FINGERPRINTS, HANDWRITING, AND PROPERTY IDENTIFICATION. IN-FILE REPORTING AGENCIES, SUCH AS CREDIT BUREAUS AND CREDIT DATA, CREDIT INDEX, AND ACTION, ARE EXAMINED. A FINAL CHAPTER DISCUSSES THE ISSUE OF PRIVACY, DEFINING PUBLIC INFORMATION AND PRIVACY AND DELINEATING PRIVILEGE VERSUS LAW ENFORCEMENT. APPENDIXES INCLUDE RETAIL CREDIT COMPANY REPORT DATA, DUN AND BRADSTREET COMMERCIAL CREDIT REPORT DATA, STANDARD IDENTIFIERS OF PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS, STANDARD NUMERIC CODES, AND COMPARATIVE PROFILES OF CHARACTER TYPES. ALSO INCLUDED ARE STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATIONS, AND FAIR CREDIT REPORTING ACT DATA. FOOTNOTES, APPROXIMATELY 100 REFERENCES, AN INDEX, AND A DETAILED TABLE OF CONTENTS ARE INCLUDED.