To make matters worse, these websites are usually searchable, too. This makes it easy for any sleuth, stalker or cybercriminal to find out who you are, what you do and how to contact you. Tap or click here to see how to get your data off people search sites. But as bad as most people search sites are, not all of them share private details like your address and phone number. Well, we found a site that does — and it’s one of the most scarily accurate people search pages we’ve seen. If you’re on this site (and you probably are), here’s what you can do to remove yourself.
Cyberbackgroundchecks knows more about you than you think
At first glance, cyberbackgroundchecks.com seems like an ordinary people search site. The web design is plain and the search bar in the middle of the site looks like hundreds of similar pages. But once you search your name, you will be shocked at the sheer volume of data this website has on you. We’ll give you a demonstration using a familiar name — celebrity chef Guy Fieri of Food Network fame. Once you enter his name, you barely even need to move your mouse to find the right Guy. He’s at the top of the list, and the info you’ll see on his profile confirms it. The first thing Cyberbackgroundchecks shows you is his full name and address — complete with a Google Maps marker so you can find it more easily. It also shows the community he lives in, as well as the property values and other neighborhood stats. Scroll on down and you’ll see not one but several phone numbers associated with the man. Several of these can even include past phone numbers that are no longer in use. Speaking of old data, take a look at this detailed history of addresses Mr. Fieri has lived at. There’s even a “Show More” button, and the dates go all the way back to the 1990s! And if that’s not enough to convince you how scary this website is, take a look at this list of “Possible Businesses.” Recognize any of these restaurants? There’s no doubt that this is our Guy after all! Worse yet, this isn’t even all the data this site can give you on someone. If you’re willing to pay, you can get information like marriage records, bankruptcies, aliases and even criminal records. It’s creepy and efficient!
I’ve seen enough! I want my information off this website now!
If you’re freaked out by how much this website exposes, we don’t blame you for wanting to pull the plug immediately. Cyberbackgroundchecks is far more detailed than most people search sites, and some might argue the information it hosts can put people at risk for stalkers, spammers and criminal activity. Fortunately, like all people search sites, there is a way to get your data out of Cyberbackgroundchecks for good:
Visit Cyberbackgroundcheck’s “opt-out” page and read the terms and conditions.Agree to the terms and conditions, then enter your email address.Complete the CAPTCHA. Then, click the Start Removal Process button.Find your records using the search bar and click the Remove My Record button at the top of the page near your name. You must be on the details page for a profile in order to remove it.Open your email and check for a message containing a removal link. You must click on this link to confirm the removal. After 72 hours, your record should be removed.
After 72 hours have passed, take a moment to check if your profile still appears on the website. If it does, visit Cyberbackgroundcheck’s contact page and send an email demanding your profile be removed for good. It’s scary that these kinds of businesses are even allowed to operate. At this point, we’re better off just removing ourselves from as many of these sites as possible rather than hoping for them to disappear on their own. If it’s this easy to find your entire life online, just imagine what hackers who put effort into it can uncover. The internet is a dangerous place, indeed. Tap or click here to see how much your digital life can sell for on hacker forums.
