National Obituary Archive(NOA)

1/1/2001

MINNEAPOLIS, MN. (December 29, 2000)-- Arrangeonline.com and Dolan Media Co. announced a data-sharing agreement today that will help prevent identity theft and credit card fraud by unscrupulous operators who steal the identities of people when they die.

The alliance, announced jointly by James P. Dolan, President and Chief Executive of Dolan Media Company, and Nadine Smith, Chief Executive Officer of Arrangeonline.com, will produce the most up-to-date and comprehensive database ever assembled of key information regarding deceased persons.

Identity theft, which the government estimates strikes 750,000 victims a year, has been targeted by the Federal Trade Commission as a major threat to consumers, their credit standings and their pocketbooks. One common target is the recently deceased because until now their credit cards and bank accounts have not been automatically canceled or transferred to survivors.

Dolan, the world’s largest provider of courthouse public records, launched its Identity Guardian division earlier this year as a major new product line of its Dolan Information Group. Identity Guardian already maintains a national database of information about deceased individuals that was created to reduce credit card fraud and unwanted marketing solicitations. Two other Dolan Information business lines, Banko and Hogan Information Services, have fully integrated Identity Guardian into their offerings. Identity Guardian’s Web site is at www.identityguardian.com.

Arrangeonline.com, the world’s leading publisher of online obituaries, has nearly 10 million death records in its National Obituary Archive. Arrangeonline.com is a subsidiary of Continental Computer Corp. of Jonesboro, Ark., that produces funeral home management software that processes 43 percent of the 2.4 million deaths in the United States each year. Continental has upgraded its software to enable funeral directors to quickly and easily upload obituaries to Arrangeonline.com and related information to Identity Guardian.

By combining information from the two companies’ databases, Dolan and Arrangeonline.com expect to be able to reduce the incidence of identity theft and unwelcome mail and telephone solicitations to bereaved families.

Ms. Smith said, “Arrangeonline.com sees this joint initiative as an important new service funeral directors can offer their client families at little or no cost. It will spare many families untold agony and a paperwork nightmare that only adds to their grief at the worst possible time.”

“Businesses have needed access to comprehensive, and timely information regarding the recently deceased in order to help prevent fraud and abuse, which unfortunately exists in our society today,” Dolan said. “Identity Guardian is unique because we have reached out to the funeral industry for assistance.”

Dolan and Smith both said the funeral industry’s continuing support is important to maintaining the alliance’s high standards for data quality. Arrangeonline.com already has won the exclusive endorsement of the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA), the leading industry membership organization.

Arrangeonline.com launched its Web site, www.Arrangeonline.com, in October and immediately became the leading publisher of online obituary information. The company also offers a national directory of the nation’s 22,000 funeral homes and soon will provide advice to families about planning for funerals.

Dolan Information includes Banko, the nation’s leading bankruptcy database; Probate Finder, the first national database of probate information; Hogan Information Services Co., the nation’s largest gatherer of courthouse public records; Acollaid, serving the credit management industry; and Identity Guardian.

Web sites:
www.Arrangeonline.com
www.IdentityGuardian.com

Contacts: Michelle Willis Identity Guardian 877-585-9425		Jim Dolan Dolan Media 612-317-9425
Nadine Smith President Continental Computer Corp. 800-874-1413 nsmith@continentalcomputers.com		Michael Putzel Vice President/Media Continental Computer Corp. 877-932-6248 mputzel@arrangeonlinedc.com