Scams That Aren’t Illegal (But Should Be)

Every year during National Consumer Protection Week, there are warnings about phishing emails, fake calls to the IRS, and identity theft. Those threats are real, but there is another risk that gets much less attention and is completely legal.

Right now, hundreds of companies collect, package, and sell personal information, including your home address, phone number, family members, income estimates, and even your daily habits. They are not attacking you because you have done something wrong. Instead, they benefit simply because their data is valuable.

Unlike traditional scams, this doesn’t happen in the shadows. It happens outdoors, every day. As a result, most people only realize what is happening after someone uses their personal information against them.

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Your personal information is a product.

Data brokers These are companies that most people have never heard of, but they know a ton about you. They collect information from public records, online activity, retail purchases, app usage, and hundreds of other sources.

They then create detailed profiles and sell them to advertisers, marketers, and anyone else willing to pay. A typical profile may include:

• Full names, ages and phone numbers.
• Home addresses
• Names of family members and household members.
• Estimated income, home value and net worth
• Shopping habits and interests.
• Political, health and lifestyle indicators.

This information usually appears on people search sites, where anyone can search for you in seconds. Scammers use these same databases to find and target victims. But even legitimate companies use them in ways that most consumers never consciously accepted.

People Search Sites Expose More Data Than You Think

Search your own name online and you can find pages with your address, family names and contact details. These sites present themselves as “background check tools” or “public records directories.” But its business model depends on making personal information easy to find.

• That creates risks in the real world. Criminals use these sites to:
• Impersonate banks, government agencies, or delivery services
• Convince victims that they already “know” them
• Locate elderly or vulnerable people
• Address family members using shared address history.

Even strangers can know where you live, who your family members are, and how to contact you. No hacking required.

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Your browsing history is being tracked and sold

Many websites and apps track what you click, read, and buy. Incogni’s research found that popular apps like TikTok, Alibaba, Temu, and Shein collect numerous personally identifiable data points and share them with third parties such as ad networks and data brokers.

Even web extensions track what you do online. Popular Chrome extensions like Grammarly or Quillbot, powered by artificial intelligence, invade your privacy, require extensive permissions, and collect sensitive data.

Over time, this data collection builds a behavioral profile. It can reveal:

• Financial stress or worries about debt.
• Health interests or medical conditions.
• Major life events such as moving, retirement, or loss of a spouse.
• Online shopping and brand preferences.

That’s why you may suddenly receive very specific emails, calls, or announcements that feel uncomfortably personal. Someone already knew what to say.

AI is accelerating data collection

AI makes personal data more valuable and easier to collect than ever. These systems crawl public websites, social media profiles, images and videos for identifying details. They also connect scattered information into a single, detailed identity profile, which may include:

• Photos connected to your name
• Voice recordings from public videos.
• Employment history
• Places you have lived or visited.

Once collected, this information can circulate indefinitely. You can delete a social media post, but copies of that data may already exist elsewhere.

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Most AI companies collect data by default unless you opt out

Are you using ChatGPT, Gemini or even LinkedIn? Your data is then automatically collected from your chatbot’s conversations, posts, and more. They collect user interactions such as directions, voice recordings, uploaded photos, and behavioral data to improve the AI ​​system.

In some cases, you have to turn this off manually in settings, but it’s hidden in countless opt-out guides or obscure labels. For example, to opt out of LinkedIn data collection, you must:

• Gonna Settings and find the Privacy tab.
• Find the switch called ‘Data for the improvement of generative AI’.
• Review others default data sharing options.
• Disable everything from personal demographic information to social, economic and labor research.

AI-powered apps and services continually change them and make it difficult for you to opt-out. Because? Your data is driving your business model. The more data points they have, the better they can train their AI and the more money they make.

Why this is important for your security, not just your privacy

Most people think that data collection is just about targeted ads. But the same information can be used to make scams much more convincing. Instead of sending generic phishing emails, scammers may reference your real address or recent activities.

For example: “Hello, Mr. Smith, this is your bank. We have noticed unusual activity on your bank account, which ends in 0123. Please confirm your information.”

Because the details are accurate, the message appears legitimate. This dramatically increases the chances of someone responding. In many cases, the information came from data broker databases that were purchased or accessed legally.

Consumer protection starts with reducing your digital footprint

National Consumer Protection Week aims to empower people to protect themselves. That protection shouldn’t be limited to obvious scams. First, it should include limiting the ease with which your personal information can be found.

A data removal service helps remove your personal data from the data brokers and people search sites that collect and sell it. Instead of submitting dozens or hundreds of manual requests yourself, they automate the process and continue deleting your data as it reappears.

Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already available on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com.

Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already available on the web: Cyberguy.com.

Kurt’s Key Takeaways

When most people think of scams, they imagine criminals hiding in the shadows. But some of the biggest threats to your personal information operate openly. Data brokers legally collect and sell detailed profiles about you. People search sites make your address, phone number, and even family members easy to find in seconds. Your browsing activity is tracked, packaged and monetized. And now AI is accelerating how quickly that information can be collected, connected and reused. It’s not just about annoying ads. The more accessible your personal data is, the easier it will be for scammers to appear convincing and target you with precision. True consumer protection is not just about avoiding suspicious links. It’s about limiting where your information resides and who can access it. The less strangers know about you, the harder it will be to use your own data against you.

Have you ever searched your name online and been surprised by what you found? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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