Remove from PeopleFinders: Why It Should Be a Priority

Have information to remove from PeopleFinders? Contact us today!

Many people wonder why it needs to be a priority to remove from PeopleFinders any identifying information about them.

The truth is simple: identity theft.

The more information that is readily available about you on the Internet, the easier it is for thieves.

Of course, this is far from the only reason to safeguard your privacy and personal information. There are plenty of other reasons. We will discuss many of those reasons below.

We will also explore the following about Peoplefinders:

• What Peoplefinders is.
• How PeopleFinders makes money.
• The rise of information sites like Peoplefinders in recent years.
• The increasing problem of identity theft and its relation to COVID-19.
• How “People Search” Websites Can Negatively Affect Your Reputation
• How you can protect yourself and remove from Peoplefinders information about you.

The more you understand about how the organization works the easier the decision to protect yourself becomes.

What is Peoplefinders?

You might have heard of TruePeopleSearch, Fast People Search, and BeenVerified, some of the most widely used data broker sites. PeopleFinders is similar; it is a data brokerage firm located in Sacramento, California. Among the information Peoplefinders makes available are the following:

• Home addresses.
• Phone numbers.
• Aliases.
• Related individuals.
• Criminal records.
• Legal proceedings against people.
• Divorce and marriage information.
• Birth and death information.

At first glance, it doesn’t seem that ominous. After all, this information is all a matter of public record. However, it takes a lot of footwork for the average person to gain access to all the information above.

With PeopleFinders and similar sites, it’s just a few keystrokes and a small payment. Or so the story goes.

The problems arise in two ways. First, the fact that all this information is available in one easy location makes your identity easy pickings for thieves. Second, the “framing” of the information is sometimes derogatory and may make it seem as if you have a criminal past, even if you do not.

This negative framing can hurt your chances of doing many things, including:

• Renting a desired home or apartment.
• Getting the job you want.
• Landing a dream date with the current object of your affections.
• Qualifying for promotions at work.
• Gaining advantageous partnerships in business.

For businesses or business professionals, it can even result in a marked loss of sales. This is the result of negative information, accurate or not, available about you through these sites.

How Does Peoplefinders Work?

Peoplefinders sifts through data available through public records. These records include birth and death certificates, marriage and divorce records, court filings, property purchases, and more.

But that’s not the only resource sites like PeopleFinders use to find your personal information. They also use public social media profiles. From those they can get information about the following:

• Where you work now and have worked in the past
• Your kids and where they go to school
• Where you attended school
• Which college you graduated from
• What degree(s) you’ve earned
• Your religion
• Where you attend church
• When you go on vacation

The only limit concerns the amount of information you share on your social media profiles. And as your public posts on social media. It is candy for organizations like PeopleFinders who sell your information to others for profit.

How Does Peoplefinders Make Money?

Yes, you are the product that PeopleFinders and similar sites make money from. Your personal, private information is up for grabs to anyone willing to pay for it. In addition to offering publicly available information about individuals, Peoplefinders also offers background checks.

They sell the information as either individual transactions or in monthly subscriptions that allow customers to view the information for an unlimited number of searches each month.

Are There Other Sites Like PeopleFinders You Need to Worry About?

The unfortunate truth is that there are many sites like PeopleFinders. Hundreds of them currently exist.

Even worse, new websites are cropping up almost every day. We live in the information age, and there are certain people and businesses that can’t get enough access to yours.

This is why it is so important to remove your information from PeopleFinders and other similar websites.

The Rise of Identity Theft and How Websites Like PeopleFinders Helps

According to the Insurance Information Institute, identity theft and cybercrime are on the rise. Largely due to COVID-19. But also, thanks in part, to the wide availability of identifying information through “people search” websites.

The III reports that identity theft rose from 650,523 reports in 2019 to 1,387,615 in 2020.

In other words, cases more than doubled in one year. Fraud complaints also rose substantial from 3,286,042 in 2019 to 4,772,748 in 2020. Identity theft complaints included the following and more.

• Government benefits applied for or received.
• Tax fraud.
• Business or personal loan identity theft.
• Credit card frauds (new accounts opened).

One thing to note is that 15 percent of identity theft complaints were for multiple incidents of identity theft.

How You Can Protect Yourself and Remove from Peoplefinders All Information

Removal of your information from PeopleFinders is a multi-step process that may not have a long-term impact.

Here’s what you need to do to remove your information:

1) Visit the following website: www.peoplefinders.com/opt-out.

2) Enter the required information to search for your listing.

3) Click on your profile and copy the link.

4) Enter the URL for your listing on the form provided.

5) Provide your email address.

6) Verify that you wish to remove your information.

7) Click the button labeled “Send Request.”

According to the website, it should take one to two days for your information to be removed. However, some complaints claim it takes up to one week.

Remove from PeopleFinders – Is it Really That Simple?

Unfortunately, removing your information from PeopleFinders isn’t a “one and done” process. Anytime a new public record is issued about you, such as when you buy or sell a home, get married, etc. a new record may be created under your name.

This means you’ll need to continuously watch to make sure your information does not return to the website.

There is an Easier Way, InternetPrivacy.com Can Help!

You do not have to go through the extensive process to check and recheck that your information isn’t on PeopleFinders. There is a much easier solution. Let someone else do the legwork on your behalf.

We understand that you have limited time to monitor and remove your information. We will protect you and those you care about from more than 70 search sites like PeopleFinders. And, we are happy to do it on your behalf.

Contact us today at 866-349-0130 to learn how we can help you protect your privacy and safeguard your family.