The tragic events in Minnesota last month stand as a solemn reminder for all Americans to reflect and take action. The gunman who targeted lawmakers may have used people-search websites to hunt down his victims’ home addresses before carrying out his deadly attacks. Police found a handwritten notebook in his vehicle containing a list of 11 data broker sites, along with notes about which were free and what personal data they displayed. Whether the suspect, Vance Boelter, actually used those sites to track down assassination targets has yet to be proved.
The sites included TruePeopleSearch, Spokeo, Pipl, PeopleFinders, BeenVerified, Whitepages, TruthFinder, Intelius, Ownerly, USSearch, and PeopleLooker. These same sites contain your information, too, and they sell it to anyone with a credit card.
Which major data broker websites are tracking you?
The $200 billion data broker industry includes over 4,000 companies worldwide. Here are some major players:
- Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion (yes, these are credit bureaus that also broker data)
- Acxiom, Epsilon, and CoreLogic (massive data aggregators)
- Spokeo, BeenVerified, and TruthFinder (people-search sites)
- Whitepages, PeopleFinders, and Intelius (online directories).
What personal information data brokers collect about you
These companies build detailed profiles that include your name, address, phone number, email, age, marital status, children’s information, education, job, income, political leanings, health details, location data, and purchasing habits. They gather this data from public records, social media, shopping habits, and your smartphone’s location tracking.
The real dangers of data brokers: Privacy, scams, and identity theft
Data brokers do more than invade your privacy. They create serious real-world risks that affect your finances, safety, and overall quality of life.
Financial fraud: Scammers buy detailed financial profiles to specifically target seniors and people facing financial difficulties.
Physical safety threats: They sell your home address and phone number, putting domestic violence survivors and anyone who values privacy at serious risk.
Medicare and healthcare scams: Scammers use your personal details to target you with fake Medicare offers, bogus health insurance plans, and medical identity theft schemes that can cost you thousands.
Social discrimination: Companies use your data to determine your loan rates and insurance costs, all without telling you how you’re being judged.
Spam calls and robocalls: Telemarketers and scammers buy your phone number and pester you with unwanted calls about everything from fake warranties to phony charity requests.
The DIY challenge: Opting out of data brokers
You can remove your information from data brokers, but they make it incredibly difficult on purpose. Thousands of data broker sites exist, and trying to remove your data is like trying to empty the ocean with a teaspoon. Even after you remove your info, it often pops back up again.
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How to manually remove your data from people search sites
If you’re determined to take control of your data on your own, then here’s what the step-by-step process typically looks like.
1) Search: Find out which companies have your data by searching for yourself on major people-search sites and checking what comes up. However, many databases are private and hidden from view, so you can’t always tell who has your info.
2) Visit: Go to each website individually.
3) Locate: Hunt for their opt-out procedures, which are usually buried in the fine print.
4) Submit: Fill out and send removal requests. Note that some sites may require a phone call or additional forms.
5) Follow up: Chase down companies that ignore your requests, which is unfortunately common.
6) Monitor: Keep checking in regularly to see if your information reappears.
Privacy experts say handling the major data brokers alone takes 10 to 15 hours, plus ongoing monitoring.
The smart solution: Let a personal data removal service handle it
If you’ve tried it yourself and found the process overwhelming, there’s a smarter approach. Professional data removal services can handle it for you:
- Finding out which companies have your information
- Sending opt-out requests on your behalf
- Following up when companies don’t respond
- Continuously monitoring for when your data pops back up
- Sending you regular updates on their progress.
While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap – and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.
A service like Incogni can help you remove all this personal information from the internet. It has a very clean interface and will scan 420+ websites for your information and remove it and keep it removed.
The longer you wait, the more data brokers spread your personal information online. I recommend Incogni to help you remove that data automatically (and they make sure it stays removed) without any effort on your part.
Exclusive Deal for CyberGuy Readers (60% off): Incogni offers a 30-day money-back guarantee and then charges a special CyberGuy discount for all annual plans only through the links in this article for as low as $6.39/month for one person (billed annually) or $13.19/month for your family (up to 5 people) on their annual plan. This fully automated data removal service provides ongoing protection from 420+ data brokers, and if you choose the Unlimited plan, you can also request removals from specific sites where your personal information appears.
I recommend the family plan because it works out to only $2.31 per person per month (or $4.79 per person per month if you get the Unlimited plan) for powerful year-round privacy protection. It’s an excellent service, and well worth trying to see how much of your information is being exposed and how effectively it can be removed.
Get Incogni for your family (up to 5 people) here
Is your personal information exposed online?
Run a free scan to see if your personal info is compromised. Results arrive by email in about an hour.
Related links:
- Stop data brokers from selling your information online
- Airlines selling passenger data to Homeland Security
- Your health data is being sold without your consent
Kurt’s key takeaways
It’s a scary truth: data brokers have collected thousands of data points on nearly everyone with an online presence. Trying to manage all of that on your own can be overwhelming, and for most people, it simply isn’t practical. Your personal information is already out there, being bought and sold every day. If you’re retired or living on a fixed income, you may be an even bigger target. This isn’t just about protecting your privacy. It’s about safeguarding your identity, your safety, and your peace of mind.
Should the government be doing more to stop data brokers from selling your personal information? Let us know in the comments below.
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6 comments
If someone uses Incogni, do they still need an identity theft protection company?
Hi Marla, yes, they serve different purposes, so using both can offer stronger protection:
Incogni helps remove your personal data from data broker sites. This reduces your digital footprint and lowers your chances of being targeted by scammers or having your info used without consent. Think of it as prevention.
Identity theft protection services like our #1 pick Identity Guard monitor for signs that your information is being misused (like someone opening a credit card in your name) and offer recovery support if you become a victim. This is more about detection and response.
In short: If you want both less exposure and backup if something still goes wrong, using both Incogni and an identity theft protection service makes sense. Many people start with Incogni and add identity monitoring later if they’ve been targeted or want extra peace of mind.
K2, Thank You!, Again for excellent info!
Yes, they should not being selling our information. May be they should be fined $100,000,000,000.00 and it goes to every persons information they sold & they pay the taxes on the money.
Kurt:
I am old and like most of us seniors there are so many different services available to help prevent certain outcomes that we can’t keep straight what services we need to subscribe to.
I am an avid reader of your newsletter and just love it.
At some point, could you write an article for us seniors that gives us a roadmap as to what services we should consider subscribing to to prevent things from happening to us.
Sort of list that says for this get this. To do this get that.
Obviously, I would like your recommendations as to what companies to use as I love how you explain stuff.
Hi Phil, take a look at our article we recently published here