The principles also provide for measures to protect nonpublic information. The specific measures to be used vary according to the subscriber to whom the services are distributed. Appropriate Uses and Benefits of Individual Reference Services Individual reference services have a wide array of productive and socially beneficial uses. They play an important role in facilitating law enforcement, fraud prevention and detection, and a range of business transactions and legal proceedings. Credit card issuers and banks use the services to help them weed out fraudulent applications, preventing identity fraud before it can occur.
Insurance companies use the services to uncover fraudulent claims and operations.
Direct marketing companies, retailers, utility companies, and hospitals are a few examples of businesses that conduct due diligence verification to minimize the risk of financial fraud in business transactions. Enforcing Child Support Individual reference services help in tracking down parents who are delinquent in their child support obligations, particularly non-custodial parents. Uniting Separated Families Individual reference services help locate family members who may have become separated due to misfortune, illness, or even abduction. Locating Beneficiaries and Policy Holders Estate attorneys and executors use individual reference services as a cost effective means to locate missing estate heirs. Pension fund administrators use the services to locate missing beneficiaries, ensuring that these beneficiaries receive the money owed them.