What happens if those online research sites provide egregiously wrong information about you?

[Baitball Blogger]

Hubby did a search for himself and discovered something that was way off. It claimed that he made more than twice what he actually makes. How can someone use this information in the wrong way. Like the IRS, for example?

[jberryhill]

1. How would the IRS use that information?

So what?

The burden is on the IRS to show that your income exceeded that which you reported to them.

Income estimates can be based on things like zip code, property values, etc.. That the IRS would somehow believe "some number on a website" or that there would be some sort of consequences from that, is a little far-fetched.

[Baitball Blogger]

4. Hope you're right.

[sir pball]

11. +1, but I'd say "How would the IRS *believe* that information?"

I've had to deal with them a lot over the last couple of years, and "some number on a website" doesn't even enter their calculus.

[SWBTATTReg]

2. Absolutely. If they obtained this information vs. some kind of guestimating (using an algorithm ...

of some sort) don't volunteer anything to them because then they got you on the hook to plish some information out of you, which is none of their business anyway.

I would worry more about credit reports that are out there, which are based upon actual history/facts (in theory), which would be one of the online sites to be concerned w/ should info. be wrong there, as well as perhaps social security site information on you.

The rest of the internet, who cares? Unless it's a personal sensitive site YOU signed up for.

[Baitball Blogger]

5. It's all derived from public record. We didn't volunteer anything.

The most we figured out was that it was the one year that we sold a rental condo. One year in our life, we were living in the 1%. The low end.

[RKP5637]

3. Most of these are often way off and bogus. I doubt the IRS would rely on information like this.

The IRS has far better indicators of wealth. I have one friend where they say his annual income is $1B dollars. He lives on a SS check. It's absurd. One of the searches says I live in about $47M house, yeah, right.

[Baitball Blogger]

6. Whaaat!

That's crazy. Thanks for sharing.

[ProfessorGAC]

7. I Wouldn't Pay More Than $46 Million For That Joint

Kidding with ya! I found one that said i was a CIA agent.

I think i would know if i worked for the CIA.

[RKP5637]

8. Well, let's see, since you're a DUer and a CIA agent, we can do $45 Million!

LOL!

[ProfessorGAC]

9. Well Played!

Sitting in my office laughing all by myself!

[RKP5637]

10. ...

[wishstar]

12. Those online search sites often show wrong information

The MyLife one has a hilariously wrong middle name for me and a different race for my neice and shows that people are married when they are single etc. A real estate website I looked at lists the value of my small house at twice the highest possible value and 3 times the tax value (which is public record) but I would never consider going in to change anything since they would ask for confirmation of personal information that I am not willling to provide. IRS and official govt agencies do not rely on any of the personal search sites such as MyLife , so there is no reason to worry about wacky estimates of income or property values on those sites.