Leaving It Unconfirmed — Leaving It Unconfirmed

When direct, first-party evidence is entirely absent, the most responsible action is to leave a claim unconfirmed. In federal recordkeeping, failing to maintain accurate, relevant, timely, and complete records can lead to civil lawsuits under the Privacy Act of 1974.

While private researchers do not face the same statutory civil remedies as federal agencies, maintaining strict standards of accuracy prevents harmful speculation. If facts cannot be verified directly, the relationship should be clearly described as unverified.