If you think people search sites are harmless, think again

by Cheryl Baumgartner Medical Billing/Coding/Insurance

There is a 'people search' type site called Spokeo. This should slam it home just how much personal information is out there about you. I suggest you click that link. Then search for yourself. Once you find you I want you to take the time to click through those sections and see exactly what information is available on not only you, but your family.

For the Small fee of $2.95 per month anyone can retrieve information not only about you, but about everyone in your household. Got kids? Someone can search for you and get full details on your children using this site. They can get full information on everyone living in that house. Would you as a parent just walk around giving out your child's personal information?

Not only is your information in there they probably have you listed under multiple addresses. So what do you do? There is a way to remove that information but they limit how many privacy requests you can make per day, and you have to make a separate privacy request for each listing.

But this should also serve as proof that no one is safe from identity theft. All it takes is $2.95 and a visit to Spokeo for a anyone to steal you identity

If you want the full run down my sister posted to her blog on it.

Update: I also have to give credit to Patsy Payne. She wrote a post on her experience with this one and Her post will definitely bring home what information is being sold. Please take the time to read her article here.

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About Cheryl Baumgartner Medical Billing/Coding/Insurance

1,142 connections, 69 recommendations, 4,101 honor points.
Joined APSense since, May 18th, 2007, From San Antonio, TX, United States.

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Comments

Philippe Moisan

Tutorial videos, sci-fi writer
Cheryl, scary info you got there. Question : why would companies bother to get that info from FaceBook ? To save time ?
Jan 19th 2011 08:09

Cheryl Baumgartner

Medical Billing/Coding/Insurance
Companies don't need all of that information, but they claim they do for targeted marketing. That is BS no company needs access to my property records, they don't need my child's personal information etc. And the information is not limited to companies. Anyone with $2.95 can access it.

I suggest you look for yourself, you wife and your children's information and remove it. Depending on how many records you find you may need multiple addresses to do it. They claim to avoid abuse they limit how many records you can remove. I think it should read th guarantee abuse.

This is why I don't link any search that brings up individuals personal information.
Jan 19th 2011 08:20

Al Hamilton

Online Marketing
Thanks for the info. I will take the time to do that--However, most of the info is incorrect, and fortunately nothing about my son. 1 address listed shows my ex-Girlfriend, w/ incorrect last name, and my father who passed away in '02. Not sure were they got the info, Iwasn't on social sites, etc. @ the time...maybe yahoo, from playing Fantasy sports?
Jan 19th 2011 08:36

Cindy Bolley

HHCTB?
Thanks Cheryl
I have removed Both me and my husband from Spoke
We were both in there twice and I did have to
use a couple of different emails to complete the task
Thanks for the heads up
Cindy
Jan 19th 2011 08:42

Cheryl Baumgartner

Medical Billing/Coding/Insurance
You're welcome. Don't forget to search for your children too! they list everyone in the home. Click on those tabs and see exactly what information they have and are selling.
Jan 19th 2011 08:48

Cindy Bolley

HHCTB?
No kids in this house only the furry kind.
Might be a good idea to check out the kids tab FIRST
and get rid of that info and then do YOURS...
Cindy
Jan 19th 2011 08:56

Alan Mones

Forex Trader, CPA, Farmer
Good information. I have not yet opened SPOKEO. But I'll see what's in there. Thank you, Cheryl
Jan 19th 2011 09:02

Philippe Moisan

Tutorial videos, sci-fi writer
I just went to spokeo, my name gave an address in the US, my home phone number is not there, I put my usual username, they found it in 44 places, I have to upgrade :( to know more, on YouTube we see my age, I don't mind
Jan 19th 2011 09:32

Sue and Shawn Kelly

List Building Experts
Excellent Information. You cannot even put your no on the do not call list because you have a business. I had my domain Freedom Is Your Gift.com and the email and twitter Identity hacked from twitter. The amount of work to create new advertising iDs new emails and the lost time that should have gone into advertising was rediculous Weeks Also when they hack your primary business email they have all of your ids and passwords. They can have any money you have earned taken by forwarding that address to a new address You can get more protection for free from: http://keystrokeprotection.com it will encrypt your ids and passwords. Thank you the other blogs were great too.
Jan 19th 2011 14:03

Kenneth Kuester

Affiliate Marketing
I am under the firm impression that anyone that would steal my identity would probably get more problems than any gains
Jan 19th 2011 18:51

Philippe Moisan

Tutorial videos, sci-fi writer
Sue and Shawn, I'm sorry, I practice tolerance zero for obvious advertising that tries to steal the spotlight from an article content. You've been reported for abuse. Write your own article and spend your own credits to advertise your links. That's the proper way to do things at APSense.
Jan 19th 2011 19:01

Cheryl Baumgartner

Medical Billing/Coding/Insurance
@Wtchdr46 I hear that same statement day in and day out and you are more than wrong but that's the fault of the banking industry who did a very good job of confusing credit fraud with identity theft. Bank accounts credit cards even credit history are a small percentage of reported cases, less than 30%.

Believe me when a convicted felon uses your information because that criminal history is following him around and he ruins your good name and gains you a criminal history, you will know the difference between identity theft and credit fraud. When an Identity thief goes to get tested for AIDS using your information and that is now a part of your medical history you will know the difference between identity theft and credit fraud.

100% of people who make statements like yours think identity theft is credit fraud.
Jan 19th 2011 20:10