Kristen Welch

We are THAT Family

WFMW: Spokeo

by

So, there was  breech in security.

Which only means my phone number got out and people started calling me.

[insert introvert freak out]

My number isn’t private, I just don’t want it out there OUT THERE, know what I mean?

Anyway, I asked Twitter about it because they are genius.

And some people told me I better check out Spokeo (boo hiss) to see if our private information was public.

It was.

[insert more freaking out and sweet tea]

So, go here. Type in your name. If you find all your private info public, here’s what you do:

1. drink sweet tea, calms the nerves

2. And then follow the easy steps for reclaiming your privacy. It only took me a minute to do.

While Spokeo doesn’t work for me, protecting privacy does!


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Reader Interactions

Comments

  4. I recently deleted my info from the spokeo site. I realize that it’s like an online phone book, but I’m not ok with my info being published without my permission!

    Reply

  6. I am not *known* as you are — but still — to be able to pull up my house under property – ACK!
    Thanks for this reminder – I had heard of Noseo – heh, but wow…had forgotten to check.

    Reply

  8. I looked on that website and they didn’t have anything on me but they had one really old address for my husband (30 years ago!) and a previous address for one of my sisters. Even though I know there is lots of our private info out there it still makes me really mad when I see it!
    This week I am sharing my recipe for Pizza Flavors Stuffed Mushrooms. They are amazing and really easy to make!
    Thanks for hosting!

    Reply

  9. This came up on Facebook a few months ago and some very wise person pointed out that it is all public information they just put it in one place. However, until you give them your email address they didn’t have that which they do now. So, consider that you just gave it up to get your stuff pulled down.
    I looked up mine and it was actually quite inaccurate mainly because I have been diligent about what I put on the internet. I even use a fake birthday (I am younger in the fake one) for sites that require I put one in like Facebook. I never post that I have children with data collection and make sure it stays locked down. Which was good because Spokeo reported I had no kids and lived with my parents at an address I had 9 years ago! LOL!
    It is unsettling but the more you put out there the more they have.

    Reply

  11. Looked up my name and found a listing from a townhouse my husband and I rented about 8 years ago. I removed my name and his anyway. Thankfully, my current home address is not listed. Scary.

    Reply

  12. Kristen, thank you!!! I have read about Spokeo, but had never taken the time to delete my listing. My husband had deleted both of our names…but had not deleted my bloggy name–MarytheKay. 🙂 You made it very easy for me to go in and delete away!!

    Thank you–you always have the BEST tips!

    Reply

  13. We do keep everything unlisted because of our experiences with the media contacting pilot’s wives during the first gulf war. I checked spokeo a couple month’s back and was shocked at how much info they had on us. I do not know who their sources are, but I felt violated! Good job letting people know how to opt out.

    Reply

  14. Hi Kristen – thanks for sharing. Just for all of your international (European) readers: While spoke only works for the US, you could try http://www.123people.com in Europe – same thing different continent :-). It’s o important to keep an eye on our private information! Hope you got it all fixed up?! Katja

    Reply

  16. Thanks for including instructions on how to remove myself from the site. I was on there, but at my in-laws. (Not happening!) Now I’m unfindable. 🙂 I’m not sure that’s a word. Thank you!!

    Reply

  24. I have deleted our info on spokeo a couple times in the past year, so keep watching it because apparently they put it back up. And? They will not let you use an email you used last time to delete the listing. Oh it’s lovely.

    I am totally with ya! My husband is the chief of police and I do not appreciate phone calls on our home phone. People can call 911 if it’s an emergency. For goodness sake.

    And there was your daily rant for the day.

    PS would it make you feel better to know I have 44893 rules for people to call my personal cell phone? 😀 First of all they have to text me that they are going to call or I won’t answer. I hit ignore unless I know it’s a friend who would never abuse that system without a serious need to reach me.

    I don’t have voice mail on my phone, so nobody can leave me a message that I won’t be able to figure out how to get to anyway (short of taking my child out of school for 3.2 seconds to push the right buttons for me, ahem).

    And last but not least, my crackberry does not buzz for a text, email or otherwise. So, if you text me something urgent and want me to view it immediately you have to call and let it ring once to alert me there is an immediate text. Otherwise texts are responded to between 1-12 hours later.

    …makes ya wanna give me a “quick” call doesn’t it? I knew it did. AHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAH

    Reply

  26. Ok, so I just went and looked (because less than a month ago, I removed us AGAIN) and now it shows our previous address before this one. That we lived in over 6 years ago. C’mon. These people are just nasty.

    Reply

  27. I removed ours a month or so ago, and had to take my name out of 4 addresses: my parents, our current, our first apartment, and my in-laws (where I never lived. . .).

    Reply

  29. Spokeo freaks me out to no end! Awhile back I too deleted all of my info as well as my husband’s, his parents, and my parents… a few months later it was back up again! It’s awful! Just remember to check back periodically!!

    Reply

  33. We have very good privacy protection because we had our identity stolen years ago. Not fun. Two of my good friends are on there though and I will have to warn one because he is quite famous and the info is correct! Spookie for sure! Linking up my baby steps to a rockin life. More tips for a happier life. All the best, Alex

    Reply

  34. My husband and I have a theory on Spokeo. It seems to us to be tied to cellular phones more than anything. Again, just a theory, but here’s why:

    I’m no longer on there, but the first listing they had for me was at his parent’s address. The one and only time I used that address for anything related to my name was when I got my first cell phone.

    My husband and I both showed on there only at addresses where we had changed cell phone companies. Our two apartments that we had the same cell service going in and coming out didn’t show at all.

    My FIL is on there, he owns a cell phone. My parents are no where to be found. They have never owned a cell phone.

    Just wondering if any of this matches to anyone else…..maybe not….

    Reply

  35. Thanks so much for this tip! I had no idea about this and sure enough I found way too much info about myself! It is crazy they can do this!

    Reply

  36. Thanks for sharing this! They have me in two places – an old address and my current one. Scary the info they do show for free – like my hubby’s name, but funny because they got his name wrong on our new address. The name listed is one that showed up on a piece of junk mail once – at our old addresss.

    I’m going there to remove my info right now!

    Reply

  37. I also did a search for my maiden name – and they had info on me there, too! I’ve been married 10 years now – that’s scary!

    And once again, they had my “spouse” listed. Which for this address is actually my mom, and a wrong name that showed up on junk mail.

    I wonder how many other variations I’ll find….

    Reply

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