Scammers are using personal details found online to fuel sophisticated data broker scams, crafting convincing, tailor-made stories to trick victims and steal money through targeted calls and messages.
How Scammers Personalize Their Attacks
Many scams begin with a call from someone pretending to be from your bank, asking you to “confirm a recent charge.” These attacks are not random; scammers obtain personal information about their targets from data broker sites before ever making contact. They then use these personal details to build credibility and craft believable stories.
The Source of Scammers’ Information
Data broker sites operate as online directories that trade in personal information. These websites can provide a person’s full name, current and past home addresses, phone numbers, and even the names of their family members.
Some sites also list property records, estimated net worth, email addresses, and criminal histories.
Inside the Cycle of Data Broker Scams
Scammers play a numbers game, using auto-dialing software to blast out thousands of calls a day. Even if a target hangs up, their phone number is logged as “active,” which often leads to more calls.
Scammers only need a small percentage of people to fall for the trick for their operation to be profitable, after which they often sell the victim’s information.
How to Remove Personal Information from Websites
A powerful way to prevent these attacks is to remove your data from people-search sites and data broker databases. This proactive step makes it harder for scammers to create personalized phishing attacks.
By limiting publicly available data, you reduce the risk of someone using it to harm you.
Using CyberGuy Data Removal Services
Because new data broker sites appear every week, services exist to systematically erase personal information from hundreds of websites. CyberGuy data removal services actively monitor these sites and remove your data on an ongoing basis.
This helps ensure your information stays private as new threats emerge.
Protect Yourself and Stop Personalized Scam Calls
According to tech expert CyberGuy, protecting your information online is the most effective step to cut down on scam calls and phishing emails. He recommends visiting Cyberguy.com/Delete to see top picks for data removal services.
You can also get a free scan to find out which sites have your personal information.
