General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWell this is weird and interesting.
I've just gotten four calls in a row from a phone number in California. There seemed to be no one on the other end the first two times, the third one I got what sounded like heavy breathing, so I didn't answer it the fourth time.
Then I googled the number.
I then found a page that had a person's full name, including maiden as it was a female, her SS#, a credit card number including the little code on the back, her address, and date of birth.
So then I googled my cell phone, which I've had since 1995. That same website and a full array of information of a woman who is not me, including in her case a passport number.
WTF?
Has anyone else run across this?
Proud Public Servant
(2,097 posts)Just checked a couple of family numbers. No hits like that (thank goodness). What site is posting that kind of info?
cbayer
(146,218 posts)I always google numbers I don't recognize, and I came across a site that had all the information you list as well. Really alarming. My number does not bring this up, but I am wondering if it's a scam to get you to buy some kind of privacy protection or something.
MANative
(4,112 posts)Huge data aggregator, and outrageous invasion of privacy. Local news did a big story on them last winter. You can go to their website and opt out so that your info can't be searched. I did that and highly recommend doing the same.
avebury
(10,952 posts)I am on their website and trying to figure it out. I agree that it looks like an outrageous invasion of your privacy.
MANative
(4,112 posts)Go to the bottom of the Spokeo site and click on "Privacy"
Search to see if there is a listing in your name. If there isn't one, you are fine - do nothing. If there is, scroll down to see the "Remove Listing" entry box. Fill in the requested information, and you will be removed.
woo me with science
(32,139 posts)even to opt out. How are you sure the opt out worked?
MANative
(4,112 posts)n/t
Control-Z
(15,682 posts)whose name is one letter off from mine. I have her outstanding debts on my credit report. Even her SS number appears on the report as one of mine (as though I use two numbers). I've been harassed over the phone with threats to repossess a car I never owned. The IRS has even written her/me to verify identity. This started 18 years ago and has yet to be resolved. It has become somewhat a case of identity theft.
Do what you can asap to distance yourself from this person. Before it gets out of hand.
Proud Public Servant
(2,097 posts)I had a job that required me to do Lexus-Nexus searches for the Federal government. We weren't allowed to search people at random so we trained by searching our own data using various parameters. When I searched myself by social security number, the name of a woman in Florida came up. When I dug a bit further (which was probably against the rules, but I was a bit freaked out), I discovered that her actual social security number was one off from mine, and that someone, somewhere, had mis-entered it into one of the many databases that get aggregated in Lexus-Nexus. One errant keystroke and I'm linked forever with a stranger; I hope she's law-abiding!
SharonAnn
(13,776 posts)Proud Public Servant
(2,097 posts)montanto
(2,966 posts)I googled my home phone number and came up with a name and even a business at that phone number, which explains why I get so many calls for people other than me. The thing is I've had the number for ten years and it is still listed as a business number in several places on the internet. Once you put something out there, you can't take it back I guess.
sad sally
(2,627 posts)people, doctors, insurance companies - calling Rite Aid. Yesterday was a classic - woman called, didn't say hello, just asked what we were getting for 2% milk. Do hate it when it's 5 a.m. and they want to know what time we open...
We give the Rite Aid's number and ask if they will PLEASE correct their call list.
laundry_queen
(8,646 posts)my home number was once a small business and I get robocalls wanting me to 'improve my business' with XYZ banking, or office supply robocalls. I cannot figure how to get myself off those lists. All the other lists I have been able to get off of (when I answer most astute people ask, "Is this FF Financial?" since I don't answer the phone as a business should and I say no, could you please take me off your list, this is now a private phone number and they apologize and take me off the list).
warrior1
(12,325 posts)Just ignore it.
warrior1
(12,325 posts)and a faq
http://www.xdd.org/faq/faq.html
I don't believe any of this info is accurate.
SheilaT
(23,156 posts)I know that the information connected to my cell phone has absolutely nothing to do with me, but I wonder if the person on that site is a real person, and if those are accurate SS, credit card, and passport numbers for that person?
Proud Public Servant
(2,097 posts)The phone number my mother has had for 50 years is in there, linked to someone else at a different street address.
kalli007
(683 posts)At the top of the website
Duer 157099
(17,742 posts)So, for example, if you put a random phone number into the search box, they can have code on their site that incorporates that number with whatever other data they want. I wonder if this site does something like that?