FYI - Personal Info Site

[mlrw70]

There's a site called spokeo.com that's a new online USA phone book w/personal information: everything from pics you've posted on web, your credit score, home value and photo of your street, income, age. Remove yourself by searching your name, find the URL of your page, then go to the bottom center of the page and in the fine print click on the Privacy button to remove yourself.

I found like four previous addresses and some pics

Just a little PSA

[kresta]

I've seen this going around FB, so I looked it up on Snopes. Snopes said that yes, this site is out there, it's legit, it has your information. However, the only way it got that information is because the information is already "out there". Now it just happens to be concise on that particular site. However, removing your info requires giving them your email address (for varification, supposedly). Snopes said that while you can do this, and it will remove your info from that site, your info is still "out there" just waiting to be found. Also said this is probably more of a scheme just to get lots of email addresses.

[mlrw70]

Thanks Kresta, good to know!

[Jengerbread88]

For the record, there are a lot of sites out there that are like that. While removing it from that one may be helpful, if you don't know every single one like that, then it probably won't help totally. :/

[Jennifer]

This is a little freaky. It has my name, current and past addresses, but the wrong phone #. Says I'm in my early 30s, married, have a house that's worth $1M (ummm...riiiiiiiiight), and it has my MIL's name on there with mine...weird, right? I don't like this site at all, but don't wanna give it my email addy, either. Wish I could see if it really has pics and stuff...

[Jennifer]

Interestingly...my hubby isn't on there anywhere.

[Jengerbread88]

Haha, Jennifer, it said I made $193k a year... I make $400 a month... nowhere NEAR $193k/year!

[breakingbrie]

lol, it had my dh listed as being the father of his exwife at the addy they used to live together...

[taracotta7]

There is another site called pipl.com.....they are even scarier. No way to block on that site. You have to email them at mail@pipl.com asking them to remove you. You will also need to paste your URL from their site that is showing your info as part of the email or they won't do anything about it. Just FYI.

[jessica31876]

they have my address right but it shows me way more south then I actually am. Im not to worried about it because the info is alreaDY out there and I doubt anyone would be looking for me.

[Priscilla]

They have my MIL and I confused.... My husband is my son with unknown father.

phone numbers we've NEVER heard of.

house values are WAY off and income is not even close.

[Traci Reed]

Haha it's got my maiden name with the address I grew up at and my dad, stepmom and brother on there but not my married name

[FeeJardine]

Eeeeek...that sounds scary. I know we live in an online world but having stuff so easily accessed is worrying even if things aren't always 100 % correct. Luckily I don't think there is anything like that here in Australia...yet...or maybe there is

Fee

[SweetMelissa]

It has me listed as being 30, living at home with both my parents, making 200K a year.... None of which is true.

[pewtertm]

You can create a throw-away email to give to Spokeo...all they do is send an email asking if you are sure you want your info removed. Mine, DH's, and my mom's were removed immediately. I logged onto another computer and searched our names a few minutes later and they were gone.

[mummytothree]

It has my address and phone number right and my hubby. Even the satallite photo is recent since I can see our pool in it. But it says we have no children and that I make $144,000 a year!! I freaking wish!!!

I've never really kept quiet about myself but I try to protect my children online and I'm glad to see it might be working!!

[Lyd]

The thing is - they are probably collecting e-mail addresses and then selling them. I don't bother with any of these sites. It really is just a scheme to get a hold of a bunch of e-mail addresses, imho.

[deepounds]

LOL! As so many others have said:

• there are dozens of other sites like this
• there's really not much any of us can do about it
• much of the information isn't accurate
• any accurate info is readily available on legitimate sites

What puzzles me is why anybody would pay to join, particularly given all the above! I do think, though, that I may have discovered why I continue to receive all the penis enlargement & OTC drug emails that fill my trash on a daily basis - they get their mailing lists from places like this!