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ZABA is from the Greek word, "tzaba", which means "free" or "at no cost"
 

Frequently Asked Questions

ZabaSearch FAQ

Who uses ZabaSearch?
 
26% Consumer
23% Business
20% Government Agencies/Courts/Law Enforcement
14% Universities/Students
12% Military Personnel
3%   Law Firms/Attorneys
2%   Media/News Agencies 

Where does ZabaSearch find the information?

ZabaSearch does not gather or generate information. ZabaSearch quickly accesses public information and displays what is available in the public domain. Many people assume ZabaSearch controls the information found in ZabaSearch results pages.  However, ZabaSearch simply serves as a search engine in locating available public records and does not create the records found. Information typically makes it to the public domain via a wide variety of sources, including but not limited to: phone listings, court records, real property records, subscriptions etc.  Sources vary state by state and region by region.  Unlike ZabaSearch, there are many companies who do gather, generate, compile, house and sell public information, most of which are publicly traded. This practice is, and always has been, legal in the United States and is the basis for the 2 billion dollar U.S. information industry. 

What can I do to prevent my information from becoming so widely available?

If you care to make the effort, there are steps that can be taken to better conceal information available about you in many public record databases.  Many things can be done quickly and inexpensively, other methods can be more costly and time consuming.

It is important to note that it is virtually impossible to completely remove information available about yourself from public record.  Some public information can be controlled.  Some cannot be.  For example, real property transactions and most court records will always be part of the public domain.

Efforts made in this regard help to greatly contain and manage your information as you like, but no method can ever guarantee certain removal of all records.

Here are five very effective means of controlling information about yourself in the public domain:

1) Open a P.O. Box for your personal correspondence and bills. Submit a change of address form at your local post office, forwarding your mail to your new post office box.  This is the single most effective and inexpensive thing you can do to quickly remove your current address from a majority of public record databases.
Search Local P.O. Box locations   U.S. Postal Service Change of Address Form

2) Having your telephone number unlisted does not mean your telephone number is not available to the public.  This is the single biggest misconception people have about having an unlisted number.  Un-listing your telephone number simply keeps it out of directory assistance and white pages.  As many experience, even taking this step with the phone companies is not a guarantee that they will not subsequently disclose this number.  Phone companies have no further ability or obligation to prevent the distribution of your phone number once you start to give out this unlisted number to other individuals, to businesses, or when you use this unlisted number in legal documents that are filed as public records.  The best thing you can do to control the distribution of your telephone number is to start with a new unlisted number and block caller ID information from being displayed when you place phone calls.  Telephone numbers that at one time were listed, and are later unlisted, are most likely already widely distributed in the public record domain.  Public databases are much less likely to have a telephone record of yours if you start with a new unlisted number that has never been listed before and take care as to how the number is used in your day to day life.   

3) Never put your name, number or information on any form or application (in writing or over the phone) without checking to see what the policy is of the company or agency to which you are submitting the form.  You will be surprised to find out how many credit card companies, banks, financial institutions and government agencies share or sell your information unless you specifically request that they do not distribute it.

4) Mail a written request to all major information suppliers requesting your information be removed.  Some will comply, others will not. ZabaSearch has such a policy in place and soon will offer assistance in helping you contact information companies willing to remove your information.

5) Start a corporation, trust or d.b.a. to conduct some of your personal business which will require the filing of public records. This is a more expensive option, but there are many online services that offer reasonably priced opportunities to do this quickly and efficiently. These options tend to offer the greatest control over your information over extended periods of time, but typically require an ongoing effort to manage well.  Always consult with a licensed attorney or tax specialist before taking these steps as they are best qualified to guide you.   You can begin your research on these options here:  Research opening a corporation, trust or d.b.a.

Why ZabaSearch is Legal