Why one data broker opt-out may not protect your privacy

Removing your information from people-search sites can take time. You might search your name, find more details than you expected, then spend hours submitting opt-out requests to sites such as Spokeo, Whitepages and BeenVerified. It’s a worthwhile step, but it doesn’t guarantee your information will stay private.

Hundreds of data brokers operate in the United States, and opting out of one site only addresses that site. Other brokers may still list your name, address, phone number, relatives and, in some cases, estimates of your finances or property. Even a site you’ve opted out of may add your information again later.

That can happen when public records change. Property filings and other government documents may remain accessible, and people-search sites can update their listings based on those records. So a single round of opt-outs may offer only temporary relief.

Your relatives’ information can expose you, too

Data broker profiles often connect people to relatives and household members. Even if your daughter removes her own profile, another listing might still identify her as your relative and reveal where she lives.

Scammers can use those details to make an urgent request sound convincing. Someone might call claiming to be a grandchild in trouble and ask for money, while using real names and family connections to gain trust. In some cases, criminals may also use AI to imitate a loved one’s voice if they have an audio sample. Calling relatives back on a number you already trust, and agreeing on a family code word, can help verify whether an emergency is real.

The FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report said people aged 60 and older filed more than 201,000 complaints, reporting losses of over $7.7 billion. The average reported loss was about $38,500 per complaint. Those figures cover internet crime affecting older adults generally, not just family-impersonation scams, but they show how serious the financial risks can be.

Personal information can matter even if you’re not online much

You don’t have to be famous or active on social media to attract a scammer’s attention. Data brokers may collect details from public records and other sources, then combine them into profiles. The amount and accuracy of the information varies, but criminals can use it alongside other data to make scams more personal or answer identity-verification questions.

A 2025 analysis of FBI data estimated that online access to personal information may have contributed to 72% of reported internet-crime incidents involving older Americans in 2024. That estimate does not establish that data brokers were involved in every case. It does, however, point to the risks of personal details being easy to find.

Older adults may be targeted because criminals assume they have savings or valuable property. The less information scammers can readily access, the harder it may be for them to tailor a convincing approach. Still, a suspicious email, call or text won’t necessarily reveal whether a data broker played a part.

Information can return after you remove it

Some brokers regularly refresh their databases, which means information that disappeared may later show up again. There have also been cases in which consumer data was deliberately passed to criminals. In September 2024, the Justice Department announced prison sentences for two former Epsilon employees involved in selling targeted consumer lists to fraudsters. Prosecutors said the lists helped criminals target older and vulnerable people with fraudulent mail campaigns. One scheme defrauded more than 218,000 victims of over $23.7 million.

Public records accumulated over a lifetime can also make retirees’ information especially extensive. A home purchase from decades ago, for example, may still be reflected in public records. Younger relatives may have more social media activity, but older adults can have a longer history of public records—and that can create its own privacy risks.

Opt-outs need to be repeated

You can search broker sites yourself, submit removal requests and check periodically to see whether your information has returned. The Federal Trade Commission says manual opt-outs are free, though the process can be time-consuming. Keeping track of hundreds of sites is a lot to manage.

Data removal services can automate requests across multiple brokers and monitor for information that reappears. Some offer plans that cover family members, which may be useful when profiles connect relatives. But these services cannot remove every piece of information from the internet. Public records and data held by sites outside their coverage may remain available.

The aim is to make it harder for scammers to find and use personal details. Whether you submit requests yourself or use a service, checking back matters. One round of opt-outs is not necessarily the end of the process, and a caller who knows your family’s names or history could still be a stranger.