Recently, we have seen a rise in fraudulent letters or email scams being sent to our clients. These letters often claim that the sender has compromising information about the recipient and use fear tactics to demand payment or action. While the threats are typically baseless, the real concern lies in the amount of personal information these scammers have—information they likely obtained from data broker reports.
How Scammers Are Exploiting Data Broker Reports
Data brokers, such as BeenVerified, PeopleFinder, and Whitepages, collect and sell extensive amounts of personal data sourced from public records, social media, online activities, and other sources. These detailed data broker reports can be purchased for as little as $3.40, making them easily accessible to anyone, including scammers.
The information in these reports often includes:
- Full names, addresses, and contact details
- Family members and known associates
- Social media profiles and online behaviors
- Public records, including court cases and criminal history
Scammers use this data to craft convincing and intimidating letters, pretending to have more personal insights into your life than they actually do, all to scare you into compliance. This highlights the critical need for enhanced cybersecurity measures to protect your personal information from falling into the wrong hands.
High-Profile Cases Highlight the Dangers
Even high-profile individuals are not immune to these risks. Several celebrities have been targeted by criminals who have used readily available personal information to commit crimes:
- Taylor Swift: Taylor Swift has faced multiple stalking incidents where stalkers found her home addresses, leading to dangerous confrontations. The availability of her personal details has made her a frequent target for stalkers.
- Pop Smoke: Rapper Pop Smoke was tragically killed in a home invasion in 2020. While his location was accidentally revealed on social media, the attackers may have also confirmed his address using easily accessible data broker reports.
- Kendall Jenner: Kendall Jenner has experienced several stalking incidents. One stalker was caught trespassing on her property, highlighting the dangers when personal data is widely accessible.
The Challenge: More Than 400 Data Brokers
While removing your personal information from the top 10 data brokers is a good starting point for the average person, there are over 400 data brokers out there. Each one holds a vast amount of data, and the task of deleting personal information online from every broker can be daunting and time-consuming.
If you are a high-net-worth or high-profile individual, this challenge becomes even more critical. This is where Regal’s CyberSweep™ service can make a difference:
- Comprehensive Data Removal: We aggressively delete your personal information online from over 400 data brokers and databases to minimize the risk of exposure.
- Property Location Blurring: We help blur your home’s location from popular sites like Zillow and Google Maps to add another layer of privacy.
- 24/7 Dark Web Monitoring: We provide continuous dark web monitoring to alert you if any of your information has been compromised.
Why is it Important to Have Identity Theft Protection?
Whether you are a public figure or an everyday person, protecting your personal information is essential in today’s digital world. Taking the right steps, such as investing in identity theft protection and dark web monitoring, can help you avoid becoming a target of scams, fraud, or harassment.
Let Regal help you protect what matters to you most. Read more about CyberSweep™.
