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FoxFireEMT
05-24-2010, 10:10 AM
I am NOT sure if this is a viable site, and I am NOT sure if this is really just a joke but I thought it would be worth it to pass it along, regardless. I found a lot of people with my name but not a single one was me AT all. Did not have my address or nothing in any of the names. So IDK, but I'm passing it along.


See Email I recieved & site below:

Hi all,
There's a site called Spokeo.com <http://spokeo.com/> that's a new online phone book w/personal information: everything from pics you've posted on FB or web, your approx credit score, home value, income, age, etc. You can remove yourself by first searching for yourself on their site to find the URL of your page, then going to the Privacy button on the bottom of their page to remove yourself. It takes just a few minutes but I think is worth it. Besides, most of the info they have is wrong … for instance, Mo and I live together but the house value for him is $1M (we wish) …
The instructions to remove yourself my friend sent me is not complete, so here's what you need to do:
1) access the website: spokeo.com
2) search for your name (first last) and see if you are in the list that comes up
3) select your name on the left and see what info comes up
4) copy the URL in the address bar at the top
5) look at the bottom of the page and find the word "Privacy" - click on it
6) paste the URL in the first box
7) enter your email in the 2nd box
8) enter the security code displayed
9) you will receive an email with another URL in the body of the email within a couple of minutes
10) copy the URL in the email and paste it back in your browser address bar and hit<Enter>
(this will remove you from the website)
11) you should see a confirmation that your info has been removed
12) test it by doing a search for yourself again (mine was gone from the list)
Protecting your personal information is almost a full-time job these days with the Internet and "companies" that can do Internet searches and gather information using programs and very little effort - then selling it like this, and it's legal because the information is considered "public knowledge".

FoxFireEMT
05-24-2010, 10:11 AM
I'm not really buying it.... but then again I don't "buy" much.

lisakaye
05-24-2010, 10:51 AM
Oh Boy.. I found myself and some info was wrong but the problem is that some of the photos that I have on Photobucket and here are also open to view by everyone.. WOW.. Even had the names of my kids correct. That is scary.

RipSpark
05-24-2010, 10:58 AM
Hmm well my husband and I aren't on there but my dad is. It is kind of disturbing too(as is so much on the internet) because it has our address and everything. Most of the info is wrong though...it lists my sister as mom in her 50's and house built in the 90's which is so wrong, but it has some general info right.

oursarge
05-24-2010, 10:59 AM
We're not there, maybe it's because we have an unlisted phone #. I checked my father, he's there but just the address & phone # which would be easy to find anywhere.

dame_wolf
05-24-2010, 11:35 AM
I was on there but other then stating I was in my 30's everything else was either more then 5 years old or grossly incorrect. Still deleted myself though.

palomino
05-24-2010, 12:15 PM
All the info on me was wrong. It said my uncle was my dad, that I was a homeowner, not a parent etc. Kind of scary stuff that they just can compile all your personal information like that.

Petra
05-24-2010, 12:59 PM
I removed myself from there a while ago. Stuff about me, or my husband was outdated. Some things were right though and it was pretty disturbing it was out there.

AUEquine
05-24-2010, 01:00 PM
go read about it on snopes.com. Yes it's a real site, but it can only find what you put out there. Some people just don't realize how much stuff they've put on the internet. This site gets info from facebook, myspace, etc. the same way anyone else could.
I search for myself but find nothing, because I have all my privacy setting up high, and don't list many specifics online.

Dandy21
05-24-2010, 01:59 PM
This could almost be like a game to see how wrong they are. For instance, they have my parents, both listed as Heads of Household, along with Gregory and Micheal M (who are nonexistent). There's somewhere between 4 -6 people living at the house. My mom loves to play sports! (In reality hasn't played in sports in... 30 years.) My mom, who has a masters degree, is listed as having "some college". [And my grandparents have no children.]

I'm not willing to pay the $3/month to stalk/investigate further, but I'll show it to my dad to see if he wants to delete his page(s).

alittleoffkey
05-24-2010, 02:55 PM
Haha, this is fun - and mostly wrong. It thinks that I'm in my early 50s, a clerical/service worker, that I have a college degree and children, and I've lived in my town for 32 years (which is difficult, since I'm only 22). It also didn't have any of my profiles, anywhere. Though, it does have my old address, parents, and knows that I love to read. :rolleyes:

miatapony
05-24-2010, 02:57 PM
I wasnt there and nor was any of my family thanks for the heads up tho...

mare
05-24-2010, 04:55 PM
Thanks for the info. None of my kids were on there, but my dad was and some of the information could set him up to be scammed.

Equine_Woman
05-24-2010, 09:51 PM
I'm not on there!! And I haven't guarded myself that closely since my job requires I have an internet presence where people can find me! (Photography and now Real Estate)

Fjords <3
05-26-2010, 07:43 PM
It has me, my mom, and my dad, but not my little brothers. That's kinda weird, though it doesn't have most of my information on there, and some of it is wrong. But that's kinda weird how it gives you access to so much information. They know if you have central air or not? Wow.

TacheteTreasures
05-27-2010, 08:08 PM
Haha cool, it couldn't find me or anyone with my name

TacheteTreasures
05-27-2010, 08:16 PM
Woah, but it does have my bf's mother and my grandmother all except it said my g-m is african-american

FatSpottedAppy
05-28-2010, 07:44 AM
My family isn't on there. :)

FoxFireEMT
05-28-2010, 03:09 PM
glad I could help out a little. Yeah it didn't have any of my stuff either, but my profiles privacies on most are set on high!

glad some of you were able to delete your info!