How to Protect Your Data from Online Scammers and Data Brokers

Understanding Your Digital Footprint

• 💡 Nearly every online action leaves a trail of data, often referred to as digital breadcrumbs.
• 🧠 This data is collected by data brokers and can be sold to advertisers, political groups, and people finder sites.
• ⚠️ Scammers are exploiting personal information from abandoned social media profiles, leading to a record $16.6 billion stolen in 2024.

Investigating Your Online Presence

• 🔍 You can investigate your digital trail by Googling your name, username, and addresses.
• 🛠️ Google's 'results about you' tool can automate this search if you trust the tool.
• 📧 Using a website that searches your history via email is another option to uncover old profiles and data.

Cleaning Up Your Digital Data

• 🗑️ Delete old accounts that you no longer use or want publicly visible, such as an old MySpace page.
• 🔒 Adjust privacy settings on existing accounts, like Facebook albums, to restrict visibility to friends only.
• 🌐 Utilize the opt-out pages on people finder websites to request the removal of your personal data, like addresses and phone numbers.

Proactive Data Protection Strategies

• 📉 Limit the information you share online, including your name and address.
• 🔑 Use unique, secure passwords for all your online accounts.
• 🔒 Ensure your internet connections are secure by looking for the 'S' and lock icon in the browser bar.
• 💬 Discuss your data goals with friends and family; they might inadvertently share your information (e.g., your number on a resume) and can help remove it.