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Delete private information about yourself!

Passepartout

Passepartout

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I was alerted to this today.

Go to www.spokeo.com -enter your name(s). I found they had a shocking amount of information on me and mine- not all of it accurate. At the bottom of the information page, in tiny print, it says 'privacy'. Click that, enter the URL of the page that holds your information, and your email address and a very difficult-to-read code. I had to keep trying to get it to recognize what I entered. (hint- it's lower case). You'll get an email, click or enter the enclosed URL in your browser and it will verify that you've deleted your personal information.

Just thought you'd like to know.

Jim Ricks
 
I looked up my name and location. They had my correct address and phone number, both of which are in many public records, but they didn't get much else right.

Some of the errors:
  • Home value of $1 million+ (Wow! I don't even wish for a home that expensive!)
  • Zodiac sign
  • Occupation
  • Children: 0 (maybe both kids have both disowned me?)
  • Length of Residence: 17 years (how about 2 years?)
  • Credit level (I'm surprised my credit card companies haven't canceled my cards, based on the rating shown, which doesn't come close to my actual score
  • Runs a home business (I'll have to ask myself what the business is.)
  • Joined a shopping club (not a chance)
  • No central air in my home (Hmmm. I guess I don't know how my air conditioning works.)
Not worth my effort to delete the few pieces of accurate info that are readily available in many places without working too hard and would not be erased with the suggested action.

As an example of what's out there, go to www.birthdatabase.com and enter your name and age. Good chance your date of birth will show up. (That info wasn't shown at spokeo.com.)
 
What a coincidence, I also read my personal info on the same website yesterday. From what I can tell they make up half the information and the other half is available thru public records. Have you noticed a tendency for these kinds of web sites to charge for personal info. This website is a joke.

I personally told my wife not to worry about it.
 
Passepartout said:
I was alerted to this today.

Go to www.spokeo.com -enter your name(s). I found they had a shocking amount of information on me and mine- not all of it accurate.
Jim Ricks
Click to expand...

Interesting. Neither DH nor I are listed but two of our children are. DD's address is correct and my cell phone number is listed as her number. DS is listed at the address he moved from.
 
Dave M said:
Not worth my effort to delete the few pieces of accurate info that are readily available in many places without working too hard and would not be erased with the suggested action.
Click to expand...

I looked up a few other people, and it looks like everyone gets the same credit rating/score. As you say, a lot is inaccurate. For the relatively few keystrokes it takes to remove it, it seemed worth the effort.

Granted, if one makes a concerted effort, using readily available public records, there's much information to be mined. I removed my listing from this one, correct or not. YMMV.

Jim Ricks
 
So, by deleting the information they now have your email address as well. :rolleyes: I figured it wasn't worth it to removed the information (which wasn't completely accurate) as the information is still available elsewhere.
 
First it was hard to find myself since I have a pretty common name. The info was very limited, not necessary true and not particularly interesting. I'm not going to sweat this one.

Deb
 
Luanne said:
So, by deleting the information they now have your email address as well. :rolleyes: I figured it wasn't worth it to removed the information (which wasn't completely accurate) as the information is still available elsewhere.
Click to expand...
Exactly! Why give them more information? They could create lists of "verified email" contacts correlated with addresses / phone numbers and sell them.

By "deleting" your information through them, it does not magically erase the information out on the web, it will just not show up on their website (if they can be trusted to do that -- which I highly doubt). I certainly will not be giving them my email...

BTW, according to them I live in a $1+ million house, as so do all my friends! :hysterical:

Kurt
 
Last edited:
PigsDad said:
BTW, according to them I live in a $1+ million house, as so do all my friends! :hysterical:

Kurt
Click to expand...

I think we must all be living in $1+ million houses. :cool:
 
They don't have me! Do have my husband but our home value is unknown. Darn, can't put house on the market for $1m. The rest they have is not much and not valuable info. Seems to come from questionnaires where you check your interests. The responses are wrong but who will read it?
And they don't have any of our kids. How did we all escape?
 
oh wow

They have me living with my mother who died 26 years ago! Plus I moved out soon after.
 
Talk about a fairy tale! My $1+ house is in a "below average" neighborhood and I misplaced a daughter somewhere. She must really be lost because the website shows that my daughter has become a son and is a homeowner. I also liked the way it shows she/he as having some college - she's working on a Ph.D. so I guess that is "some". :shrug:
But it was amusing.
 
I didn't find nearly as much detail. It says we don't have central heat - in PA? Brrrrrrrrr!
 
Hot damn, I'm far more interesting than I knew.
Two peeps in my house I don't know about, kids I wasn't aware I had, and a million+ house. :ponder:

Oh, and the woman I thought I married 8 yrs. ago is still Single! So, I'm a free man, right?
 
Last edited:
Thanks for sharing this site, Jim. Never knew it existed. Amazing what they can get from us in the wide, wide world of the internet.
We also have children we never knew about.
My credit score is in the dumps, yet I had a very high wealth rating.
I'm not interested in politics, yet I read about world news and politics.
No idea if I have air conditioning, etc.
 
Did you pay this service to see the full info? They have me listed multiple times but nothing other than my name displays before they request I pay to view more.
 
Well, I live in a 1M dollar house, as well, without heat or airconditioning in a below average neighborhood in Minnesota. One thing that really surprised me is that my wife is a male :eek:
 
Michael said:
Well, I live in a 1M dollar house, as well, without heat or airconditioning in a below average neighborhood in Minnesota. One thing that really surprised me is that my wife is a male :eek:
Click to expand...

Does Minn recognize gay-marriage? :hysterical:

No, I did not pay extra -- I think most of us are just going off the "basic" info page.
 
The site you refer to may be totally harmless, but I am extremely skeptical about any site that offers to do something for me at no cost. I don't like the fact that it requires entering url's into my computer that I am unfamiliar with and that it requests e-mail information. Shortened url's is a major problem for directing people to hacker sites. I will not check out that site out of a concern that it is a place for hackers to load my computer up with viruses and malware or to direct me to a site where my computer will be infected.

Viruses and malware are a problem. I don't believe that relying on anti-virus programs is good enough to protect my computer. I think the best defense is a heavy dose of skepticism and extreme caution.
 
Shrug. They can't locate me. I guess my home must not be worth $1,000,000; not important enough to count. :bawl:
 
Gee I wasn't listed. I wonder what that means? Guess I am too boring to be on their list.
 
Ken555 said:
Did you pay this service to see the full info? They have me listed multiple times but nothing other than my name displays before they request I pay to view more.
Click to expand...

Same question. I can see my name, age, name of spouse, and a few little things, but info about mortgage, credit rating, and other stuff all requires me to sign up and pay.

Also, the information about credit rating may be being misinterpreted. There's an icon with the arrow pointing below the middle; I'm pretty sure it is just an icon, not an indicating of your rating.
 
Oh, mygosh. I'm about 30 years older than I thought I was :eek:
 
pjrose said:
Same question. I can see my name, age, name of spouse, and a few little things, but info about mortgage, credit rating, and other stuff all requires me to sign up and pay.

Also, the information about credit rating may be being misinterpreted.
Click to expand...

What if someone else pays for your information?

This is exactly my point about getting rid of your personal entry on this site. Even at the cost of a (not necessarily your primary) email address. What about the fictitious information a potential credit extender or potential employer can easily gather on you at comparatively low cost or effort.

While true that much of the personal information available on this site is incorrect to the point of humor or ridicule, and is in the public record, why even allow any toe in the door of your privacy? Jim
 
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