Any way to stop websites like Radaris.com or Intelius.com?
- Thread starter astos_sl
- Start date
Eomer
Trakanon Raider
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Neither of the websites listed had anything on me, as they seemed to be American only. Apparently there's one dude in Maine that has the same name as me, and that's it. Like Jackie was talking about, it kind of sucks having a fairly unique name for this kind of thing. In all of North America, as far as I can tell, there's one guy in Quebec and the guy in Maine (who might even be the same person!) who has the same name as me.
The only shit they have on me is public record from when I bought my house and from my linkedin profile.
Noodleface
A Mod Real Quick
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They have me living at my childhood home which I moved out of around 15 years ago. My wife isn't even listed.
0/10 would not care
0/10 would not care
Falstaff
Ahn'Qiraj Raider
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Void
Experiencer
- 9,460
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Seems my name is common enough. They have a couple of correct street addresses and phone numbers (although not the address I've been at for 5+ years), and some of the contacts are correct (at least half are wrong), but they have totally wrong information for everything else, particularly work and education. Apparently I'm a bilingual fitness ambassador who recently (2010) graduated from the Universidad Latina, as well as a degree in Spanish from Sacramento State.
dak
Bronze Knight of the Realm
- 183
- 1
I don't understand how sites like this aren't under constant DDoS attacks, they seem to epitomize everything wrong with privacy in the digital age. It is a blatant effort to profit off your private information without your consent.
If you think you are safe because you don't have information available online now, you're fooling yourself.
The type of people that would run this type of website are inherently shady as shit. These guys don't need to source where they collected information, for the most part if they can collect the information it is fair game. If markets and a precedence for the legality of this kind of "service" become well established, you'll have people like Tyen driving through your neighborhood mining data directly from your poorly secured networks and selling it to the highest bidder.
I can easily see up-to-date, highly sensitive data collected from something like that Target hacking event from last year ending up on sites like this eventually. Not credit card information, but things like family members, phone numbers, and home address, sure...as a consumer good luck making a case that information isn't floating out there in some legally accessible form.
If you think you are safe because you don't have information available online now, you're fooling yourself.
The type of people that would run this type of website are inherently shady as shit. These guys don't need to source where they collected information, for the most part if they can collect the information it is fair game. If markets and a precedence for the legality of this kind of "service" become well established, you'll have people like Tyen driving through your neighborhood mining data directly from your poorly secured networks and selling it to the highest bidder.
I can easily see up-to-date, highly sensitive data collected from something like that Target hacking event from last year ending up on sites like this eventually. Not credit card information, but things like family members, phone numbers, and home address, sure...as a consumer good luck making a case that information isn't floating out there in some legally accessible form.
AladainAF
Best Rabbit
- 12,867
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Yeah, and it's funny, because everyone here in America is so dumb and keeps saying "herp derp, can't do anything about it, privacy isn't a right, etc", whereas an individual's right to privacy is something that Europe has done much, much, much better than America has - mainly because the people in Europe don't tolerate their personal business being farmed out for free to everyone who can operate google.
a c i d.f l y
ಠ_ಠ
- 20,060
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I'm glad I'm the 3rd. They have a ton of info on my dad, and my deceased grandfather -- they only have my name and age. Which is public record. My pops still has a landline telephone, so that has a lot to do with it. Especially through several different carriers who I'm sure were all more than happy to sell his information. No wonder he gets so many sales calls...
Mures
Blackwing Lair Raider
- 4,014
- 511
Same, I lie on all forms other than official ones. One of the two websites has nothing listed other than my immediate family and age and the other doesn't even have me listed.
Lithose
Buzzfeed Editor
- 25,946
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This stuff has been around for decades. Even before the internet, it was done mostly through printed records, where detectives and police departments, who subscribed to the service, could call and ask for records to be faxed/mailed. Someone else mentioned it earlier, but almost all those stores that ask you to join their coupon club? Off set the costs of discounts, by selling your purchasing information. That purchasing information, and those records, always went to these centralized sellers and then were sold whole sale to marketing agencies. (And, also, to anyone who paid for subscriptions, which, as said, was mostly PIs and Police)...From what I know, there are legal barriers (Mentioned earlier) depending on your agencies status; but I know a bunch of private marketing firms that had pretty extensive access.
Really, this isn't the internet--this has been this way since the commercial boom of the 50's. The only difference now is how easy it is for YOU, the common citizen, to access it (Because the sub costs have gotten cheaper thanks to digital collection).
Really, this isn't the internet--this has been this way since the commercial boom of the 50's. The only difference now is how easy it is for YOU, the common citizen, to access it (Because the sub costs have gotten cheaper thanks to digital collection).
OneofOne
Silver Baronet of the Realm
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Do you work for one of these scumbag businesses who comb State sites finding people with money owed to them, locate the owner, tell them they are owed money (but not how to collect it, of course) and say you'll get it to them for a 50% (or other stupidly high fee) cut?
Famm
Ahn'Qiraj Raider
- 11,041
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OMGZ GUYZ IM SOOPER SCEERID NOW!
Look there's thousands of people in your community every day with access to all sorts of "private" info about you, and all that's keeping them honest is the honor system. Employees of banks, loan people, credit agencies, law enforcement, it goes on and on. Access to your SSN, DOB, credit history, bank account numbers, credit card info, checking account numbers, ATM, PIN, fingerprint patterns, addresses, phone numbers, call and text records, emails. Constantly rotating new employees, hiring, firing. People get addicted to smack and decide to charge some electronics on a CC # to boost for cash. And they all have wifes, husbands, relatives, kids, gossipy mouths with co-workers.
The point being that all these conveniences of the modern world require all these other people to haveaccessto all this information in order to provide service. Its like Carlin said about airline terrorism. You won't ever stop it through security measures because too many people have access. I don't know what some of you are so indignant and afraid of with this shit. I understand with the NSA, that's like wiretapping spying Orwellian style shit, but this is just the price of doing business and having credit. Living on the grid as its been phrased already.
I've had credit cards compromised. Each time there were "fishing" charges, like under a dollar for some weird vendor in some far away from me place. Each time the CC company recognizedimmediatelyput a hold on the card and got in touch with me ASAP and ended up issuing a new card with new numbers. Sometimes I'll get CC's contacting me with just in case shit and I verify it was me but I'm just on vacation/out of town or whatever.
I've had my Verizon account compromised too and someone got three iPhones on my account and screwed up the plans on my phones. Huge hassle but Verizon set it all straight and put extra security measures on the account. They probably just wanted the devices to flip for cash. The biggest annoyance about that was Verizon refused to say anything about who or how that happened and basically sounded like they were letting it go. I guess that's official policy since I've talked to others with the same experience.
So, if it bothers you that much, go ahead and rage about people being able to google your name and find out your sisters name and where you work and live. Or just go about your life because there's thousands upon thousands of people right now who are on payroll to have access to far worse than that information and you willingly accept it so you can live your life and enjoy yourself.
Look there's thousands of people in your community every day with access to all sorts of "private" info about you, and all that's keeping them honest is the honor system. Employees of banks, loan people, credit agencies, law enforcement, it goes on and on. Access to your SSN, DOB, credit history, bank account numbers, credit card info, checking account numbers, ATM, PIN, fingerprint patterns, addresses, phone numbers, call and text records, emails. Constantly rotating new employees, hiring, firing. People get addicted to smack and decide to charge some electronics on a CC # to boost for cash. And they all have wifes, husbands, relatives, kids, gossipy mouths with co-workers.
The point being that all these conveniences of the modern world require all these other people to haveaccessto all this information in order to provide service. Its like Carlin said about airline terrorism. You won't ever stop it through security measures because too many people have access. I don't know what some of you are so indignant and afraid of with this shit. I understand with the NSA, that's like wiretapping spying Orwellian style shit, but this is just the price of doing business and having credit. Living on the grid as its been phrased already.
I've had credit cards compromised. Each time there were "fishing" charges, like under a dollar for some weird vendor in some far away from me place. Each time the CC company recognizedimmediatelyput a hold on the card and got in touch with me ASAP and ended up issuing a new card with new numbers. Sometimes I'll get CC's contacting me with just in case shit and I verify it was me but I'm just on vacation/out of town or whatever.
I've had my Verizon account compromised too and someone got three iPhones on my account and screwed up the plans on my phones. Huge hassle but Verizon set it all straight and put extra security measures on the account. They probably just wanted the devices to flip for cash. The biggest annoyance about that was Verizon refused to say anything about who or how that happened and basically sounded like they were letting it go. I guess that's official policy since I've talked to others with the same experience.
So, if it bothers you that much, go ahead and rage about people being able to google your name and find out your sisters name and where you work and live. Or just go about your life because there's thousands upon thousands of people right now who are on payroll to have access to far worse than that information and you willingly accept it so you can live your life and enjoy yourself.
Big Phoenix
Pronouns: zie/zhem/zer
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You must have some incredibly bad personal security if youve had multiple credit cards comprised and a cellphone account comprised out of the blue.
And theres a big difference between banks having your personal info, and random company_01 who trolls the world for it. Its called a fiduciary.
Famm
Ahn'Qiraj Raider
- 11,041
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The Verizon one I'm pretty sure was a fucking employee at a non-corporate store who used my info after I went there to upgrade. Like I said they wouldn't give me shit for information and I can't prove it.
The credit card thing I've known a lot of people to have had happen. I've had CC companies call and let me know that I used my card a vendor that's known to have been compromised, usually during trips to NYC or Philly. Then they either watch it for suspicion or reissue the card. I've also worked somewhere before where two members of the personnel staff were fired for stealing/compromising SSN's. Shit happens. It generally turns out ok, there's a ton of protections on CC's and other accounts now and serious fraud departments precisely because this shit has gotten so widespread.
The credit card thing I've known a lot of people to have had happen. I've had CC companies call and let me know that I used my card a vendor that's known to have been compromised, usually during trips to NYC or Philly. Then they either watch it for suspicion or reissue the card. I've also worked somewhere before where two members of the personnel staff were fired for stealing/compromising SSN's. Shit happens. It generally turns out ok, there's a ton of protections on CC's and other accounts now and serious fraud departments precisely because this shit has gotten so widespread.