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Go to any dating site right now and type in your name. What comes back may shock you: your age, home address, phone number, names of your relatives, where you lived and even the value of your possessions.
You didn’t put that out there, and you didn’t agree to it. Anyway, it’s there, and anyone with an internet connection can see it.
Fraudsters realized this long ago. Since then, they have turned it into a targeting system for you, your parents and your children.
So how does it actually work, and more importantly, what can you do to stop it?
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HOW TO REMOVE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION FROM PEOPLE-SEARCH WEBSITES
A single people search result can reveal your address, relatives and years of history in seconds. (Kury “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
How scammers get your personal data online
Before a criminal sends a phishing email or makes a phone call, they do their homework. Importantly, they do not need to hack anything. Instead, they use the same public websites that everyone can access.
In less than 10 minutes, a scammer can create a detailed profile on you using data broker sites like Spokeo, Whitepages, BeenVerified and Intellius. Here’s what that profile looks like and how they build it step by step.
Step 1: How scammers search for your name on dating sites
It starts easily. The scammer types your name into a search site. Within seconds, they see results like this:
John M. Patterson | Age: 61 | Cleveland, OH
- Also known as: John Michael Patterson
- Current address: [your street address]
- Previous addresses: 4 records found
- Phone numbers: 2 received
- Email addresses: 3 found
- Relatives: 5 found
That’s the beginning. Many sites display partial data for free. That is usually enough to verify your identity. Full reports cost only a few dollars, so access is easy. Fraudsters can repeat this process hundreds of times a day, creating detailed profiles with very little effort.
Step 2: How scammers draw your family and relatives
Next, this is where things get personal. Data broker profiles show more than just your name. They reveal your family network.
That usually includes:
- Spouse or partner
- Children
- Parents
- Siblings
- Roommates
As a result, scammers can target more than one person. For example, they may learn that your elderly parent lives alone, or that your child has recently moved. As a result, scams like grandparent scam feel real instead of random.
Step 3: How scammers use your address history
At this point, your address history becomes critical. It’s not just about where you live. Instead, fraudsters use it to:
- Verify ownership
- Find relatives
- Build trust
For example, pointing to a past tense address makes the caller sound more formal. That detail alone can reduce suspicion.
Step 4: How fraudsters use your financial data
More importantly, data brokers also report financial indicators. This may include:
- Limited income
- Home value
- State of ownership
- Length of stay
This information comes from public records, not hacking. Because of this, scammers are changing their tactics. A higher income target may appear investment scams. Some can get a job either rental scams in turn.
A GOOGLE SEARCH LEADS TO AN EXPENSIVE SCAM NETWORK
Fraudsters use data vendor profiles to map your family and create more targeted attacks that confirm your identity. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
Step 5: How fraudsters verify and check your data
Before launching a scam, criminals often double-check everything. They don’t rely on just one site. Instead, they compare multiple data broker profiles, social media accounts and public records to ensure that the information is accurate.
For example, they may:
- Compare your address on different sites
- Check Facebook or LinkedIn to confirm family ties
- Look for recent moves, career changes or life events
Because of this, the profile becomes more honest. That extra step is what turns a projection into something that feels real.
Step 6: How fraudsters create targeted scams
At that time, they have everything they need. They know your name, family, address and financial information. Now the scam is becoming more clear.
By the time you hear from them, they already know enough to sound like someone you can trust.
- They may call your parent and pretend to be you
- They may pass bank security questions
- They may send texts similar to your child
- They may send emails that refer to your health
As a result, the scam feels believable.
Data broker scams are already being prosecuted
This has already gone to court. The US Department of Justice has prosecuted companies such as Epsilon, Macromark Inc. and KBM Group for selling data to fraudsters. Epsilon alone has paid $150 million to victims.
At the same time, data tied to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center shows that more than half of fraud cases involving elderly Americans were linked to exposed personal data. That shows how serious this problem has become.
Why your personal data on data broker sites
You do not need to register for these sites. Instead, your data comes from many sources, including:
- Voter records
- Property records
- Court applications
- Social media
- Marketing surveys
- Loyalty programs
- Phone directions
- Other data brokers
Because of this, your information spreads quickly.
Why your data continues to appear online
Even after deletion, your data often comes back. Data vendors are constantly updating their databases. They buy and resell new records. As a result, removal at one time is not enough.
By the time a scam reaches you or your family, it’s often built on real data pulled from multiple public sources. (Wei Leng Tay/Bloomberg)
How to interrupt a scammer’s research before they reach your family
The goal is not to disappear completely. It’s to make the profile thin enough, imperfect enough, and hard enough to detect that fraudsters move on to easy targets.
Here’s what you can do:
- Look for yourself first. Go to Spokeo, Whitepages, BeenVerified, or any other people search site, and look up your name. See exactly what’s out there before the scammer does. That summary is your starting point.
- Submit manual opt-out requests. Every major data broker is required to honor deletion requests. The catch: there are hundreds of them, each with its own process, and they rewrite your information regularly. Full time job.
- Use an automated removal service. This is where I highly recommend a data removal service. Instead of spending hours submitting individual opt-out forms, the data deletion service sends deletion requests to 420+ data brokers on your behalf—and keeps sending them when your data reappears. Because it will come up again.
- Set up family alerts. Tell your elderly relatives that you will never ask for money via text message from an unknown number. Set the code name. Scams work because they create panic. A simple family protocol breaks the spell.
- Change your security questions. If your bank still uses “mother’s name” or “city of birth” as verification, that information is probably already in the data broker’s domain. Switch to silly answers that only you know and keep them in a password manager.
Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out there on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com
Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out there on the web: Cyberguy.com
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Kurt’s priority is taking
This type of scam works because it feels personal. If someone knows your name, your family and where you lived, your guard drops. That’s exactly what criminals rely on. The unfortunate truth is that your information is already out there, often in more places than you realize. You don’t need to panic, but you do need to stand up. The more you narrow down what’s accessible, the harder it is for someone to build a convincing story around you. Start with a simple search for your name. That one step can completely change the way you think about your digital footprint. From there, take action to eliminate what you can and protect what you can.
If a stranger can create a detailed profile of your family in minutes, what does that say about how much of your life is already exposed online? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com
Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy report
- Get my best tech tips, emergency security alerts and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox.
- For simple, real-world ways to spot scams early and stay protected, visit CyberGuy.com – trusted by the millions who watch CyberGuy on TV every day.
- Plus, you’ll get instant access to mine Ultimate Scam Survival Guide free when you join.
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