Finding unwarranted information about yourself online is alarming, and often leaves Internet-goers feeling helpless. Hackers are easily able to gain access to your personal information through public records and other means, and then post details (accurate or not) online for all to see. By using people search services, you can potentially defend yourself against Internet thieves and continue to pursue a clean online reputation. There are a number of people search services available that allow you to view the information that is available to the general public.
People search
While the intention of people search services is to gain insight to another person’s public records, you can use it reversely to protect yourself from Internet peril. Sites like Intelius, IntegraScan, PeopleSmart and MyLife dig up details ranging from the most basic (name, address, birth date, home phone number and social networks) to more specific details (address history, income, nationwide criminal check and lawsuits). Yes, the amount of information that you can uncover through the power of the Internet is shocking, but making yourself aware of the extent of your online presence is the first step in confirming that you’re only sharing the information you want others to have.
As you interact online, whether you’re booking vacations, shopping, subscribing to newsletters or updating your social media profiles, you are depositing information into an archive owned and often resold by the companies you’re utilizing without even knowing it. To gain control again, you must first assess the damage that needs to be fixed. To do this, simply type your name into one of the aforementioned sites or choose from a more extensive list of people search sites and enter your name, age and email address to get the most basic rundown of what information is being shared publicly and where.
Reputation
A tarnished online reputation can lead to consequences that stretch much further than slight embarrassment or minor inconvenience. Often when your information or the reputation of your small business is being colored by someone with ill intentions, you can end up with falsified information being broadcasted across the web. By using people search sites, you can see exactly where your name shows up on any public records and various websites. More often than not, someone with an agenda to tear down a person’s online reputation will not direct comments at that person, but rather impersonate them and use their internal access to dishevel a clean reputation.
In case of emergency
In the event that you discover information about yourself online that is not true or has been used in an unauthorized way, you can request that your information be removed from people search websites by contacting the site itself. The next step in defending your online integrity is to consider investing in an identity theft protection service. Our top-rated services offer daily monitoring of the databases that are the most commonly used by hackers to access information, including credit reports, public records, the Internet black market and even people search websites.
Keeping your sensitive data off of the Internet requires a great deal of attention and persistence, and by utilizing people search services you can quickly and easily obtain a report to use as a roadmap towards cleaning up your presence online.
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